UNH hockey: Emergence of transfer Hellsten provides Wildcats with boost
Nov. 1—As the season has progressed, Harrison Blaisdell has found it harder and harder to score on new University of New Hampshire goaltender Jakob Hellsten in practice.
Last weekend, Northeastern and Dartmouth shared in those difficulties.
In his first two starts for UNH, Hellsten, a junior transfer from the University of North Dakota, backstopped the Wildcats to victories over the Huskies (by a 4-1 score) and Big Green (3-1).
The win helped UNH (4-1-0) earn its first national ranking since Jan. 1, 2018.
The No. 15 Wildcats, winners of three straight, have a home-and-home Hockey East series with No. 7 Providence College this weekend. UNH will host Providence (5-1-1) on Friday night (7) at the Whittemore Center before visiting the Friars on Saturday night (7).
Hellsten made 15 saves in the Northeastern game and 24 in the win over Dartmouth. The Ljusdal, Sweden, native made half of his saves against the Big Green in the first period.
"He was just connected with the team, I thought," Blaisdell, a senior center and fellow North Dakota transfer, said of Hellsten's play last weekend. "He was calm back there. I thought we played really good team D in front of him and then whenever we had a breakdown, he was right there, which is the biggest thing.
"To have that backbone sitting back there to make the save when you need it, obviously that puts a lot of confidence in the group."
Wildcats sophomore goalie Tyler Muszelik missed last weekend's games with a lower-body injury, UNH coach Mike Souza said. Muszelik, who started the Wildcats' first three games, has been a full participant in practice this week, Souza said.
Hellsten recorded a 7-8-2 overall record over two seasons at North Dakota and posted a 2.72 goals-against average and .875 save percentage in 13 games last season.
"Certainly, we feel incredibly confident in Tyler Muszelik and what he brings to our program, what he's going to continue to bring," Souza said, "but we thought that having a veteran goalie here would be beneficial to not only Tyler but our program."
Blaisdell said he took Hellsten out when Hellsten visited UNH last spring and the two bonded over having both played at North Dakota.
Hellsten has used what he learned while at North Dakota to benefit the Wildcats, Blaisdell said.
Souza said Hellsten has a different style than Muszelik and Hellsten has responded well to Wildcats goalie coach Sean Maguire's teaching.
"He was called upon and he played very, very well for us," Souza said. "I think he gives us another dimension with being able to handle the puck — he handles the puck very well ... He had said to the guys after the (Dartmouth) game how much fun he was having being part of this group and, for us as coaches, that was certainly special to hear."
Whichever goalie Souza chooses to start in the games this weekend will be tasked with stymying a Providence team that has scored the most goals among the 11-team Hockey East (29).
The Friars, who have scored at least four goals in six games, opened the season with a weekend split at then-No. 5 Michigan. They also defeated then-No. 2 Denver, 4-3, on Oct. 20 and are coming off a 1-0-1 home series with Vermont.
UNH, which scored the second-fewest goals in Hockey East last season (74), ranks fifth in the league in goals scored (20).
The Wildcats are tied for the second-best power-play percentage (25) and own the No. 5 penalty-kill percentage (92.3) in Hockey East. Providence is right behind UNH in both categories, with the fourth-best power-play percentage (24.2) and No. 6 penalty-kill percentage (91.9).
Last season, UNH went 1-1-1 against the Friars in the regular season and fell to them, 2-1 in overtime, in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
Souza has been pleased with his team's compete level and overall effort through its first five games. He also said that the Wildcats will be "pretty healthy, for the most part" entering this weekend.
"For any team that wins, it's a powerful thing," Souza said. "It spreads confidence and, I think, preparation spreads that as well. I feel like this year's group in particular has a real strong commitment to being prepared — being here, stretching, rolling, practicing — really putting the work in to what it takes to be competitive at this level."
