by Jashvina Shah/Staff Writer (@icehockeystick)
(photo: Rich Gagnon)
BOSTON Hudson Schandor wanted to go out for warmups.
After missing Thursday’s game, he was still day-to-day, and Connecticut coach Mike Cavanaugh strongly doubted that Schandor would be able to play.
But, as Cavanaugh said, when a player like Schandor asks to try and skate in warmups, you let him.
“He’s such a competitor,” Cavanaugh said. “He’s given everything he has to this program.”
Schandor wasn’t able to play for the second consecutive game and is still day to day. Not only is he one of Connecticut’s leading scorers, but he’s one of the team’s core leaders along with John Spetz. The two of them have been with the Huskies for five seasons.
They’re a big reason that the Huskies, who lost to Maine 5-2 in the Hockey East championship game, are still going to make the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re not here if they don’t come back. Not even close,” Cavanaugh said. “And not because they’re really good players for us, but because of their leadership.”
Schandor and Spetz are the only two players who have been with the Huskies for five years, and they are the ultimate leaders on a team with no seniors and eight freshmen.
“You’re not going to win a lot of games if you don’t have that type of leadership showing them the way and letting them know what the expectations are of a team that wants to compete for a championship,” Cavanaugh said. “So from that standpoint, they’re invaluable to me for this program.”
Schandor has a career-high 40 points for the Huskies this season, and that includes a goal against Providence in the Hockey East quarterfinal win that sent Connecticut to the TD Garden and the Hockey East semifinals. That was Schandor’s last game, and he is still day-to-day due to an injury. Spetz has played in almost every game over his time at Connecticut.
As freshmen, the two players started with a season cut short with missed games due to COVID. The Huskies improved with 20 wins in each of the following two seasons, but took a step back last year, when Schandor and Spetz were seniors. That season, the Huskies finished under .500 last year and eighth in Hockey East. Both players had the chance to leave college hockey, or to transfer. But they opted to…
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