ORONO – Spencer Abbott saw it in Will O’Neill’s eyes.
Abbott saw it when O’Neill rode an exercise bike as the rest of his teammates prepared to step onto the ice for practice or when O’Neill ran the steps of Alfond Arena while his teammates skated during the 7 1/2 weeks he was out with a knee injury.
Additional Photos
For the first time in more than two years with the University of Maine men’s hockey team, O’Neill had no choice but to sit out for an extended period of time because of a knee injury.
“You could see how bad he wanted to come back,” Abbott said. “He’s always at the rink doing something to prepare and he always comes to the rink early, whether he’s at practice or in a game.
“It’s how he gets ready. When he was out, he really missed it.”
Involvement with the team during his absence from the ice became the key for O’Neill, a junior defenseman.
“You just need to stay focused and try to stay involved as much as you can,” O’Neill said. “Stay around the guys in the locker room, sit in on video sessions and be around the team as much as you possibly can. Essentially, that’s the game right there.
“That helped me and it helped make it an easier transition when I came back.”
O’Neill returned to the ice last week at the Florida College Classic and made an impact. O’Neill had three assists in a 4-1 loss to Miami of Ohio and a 3-2 overtime win against Cornell, and was named Hockey East’s defensive player of the week.
“He’s such a dynamic player and also a dynamic personality,” Maine Coach Tim Whitehead said. “It’s great to have his sense of humor and his personality around the players.
“He loves hockey and he has a passion for it and he’s an elite player. That’s a great combination and we’ve missed his leadership.”
O’Neill’s presence will boost a power play that’s starting to rediscover its touch. Between Nov. 13 and Dec. 10 without O’Neill and Jeff Dimmen (ankle) on the point, Maine’s power play was 0 for 31. The Black Bears were three for 15 in their last three games.
O’Neill had a goal and four assists in Maine’s first eight games and ran the point on Maine’s power play. But in a 2-2 tie Nov. 6 at Boston University, O’Neill injured his knee on what he called “a fluke play.” He lost an edge and his leg went one way while the rest of him went the other.
As a result, O’Neill missed the next eight games, confined to the stands and to physical therapy in order to regenerate and maintain strength in his right leg.
“Obviously, the first week or two, I couldn’t do much,” O’Neill said. “After that, I worked out on the swimming treadmill we have, I rode the bike a lot and just tried to regain some of the strength I had. I did a lot of leg extensions and leg presses, things to help maintain it as much as I could, to try to build on what I had lost.
“Paul Culina (Maine’s head trainer) really helped me and it was huge to have him.”
O’Neill said he went through an adjustment period in his first game back.
“After I got my first shift under my belt, I just stopped thinking about it,” O’Neill said.
“Leading up to it, you have a little bit of the jitters but once you have a good shift and make your first play, I think it’s about getting right back into it. You get hit or you make a pass or you get a shot and everything goes away.”
Abbott said O’Neill obviously was committed to maintaining his fitness level.
“I only took a week off (at Christmas) and I felt sluggish coming back,” Abbott said. “For (O’Neill) to take the time off that he did and come back and play the way he did in those games, that’s pretty special.”
But while he has a vital role on the team, O’Neill said he’ll continue working on the fundamentals as the season continues.
“I just need to keep doing the things that make me successful,” O’Neill said.
“Trying to move my feet all the time and just try to make the simple plays and not the big, home-run play. Just try to get my shots through, and if I move my feet and we move the puck efficiently and I get my shots through, I think I’ll help the team.”
Staff Writer Rachel Lenzi can be reached at 791-6415 or at:
rlenzi@pressherald.com
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Comments are no longer available on this story