Fawcett shines for Quinnipiac
Lincoln native nets first goal in 9-2 win
Lincoln native netted first collegiate goal this week
A little of this, a little of that …
• Turns out all that Lincoln native Matthew Fawcett needed was the opening game of his sophomore season to surpass last year’s scoring output with the Quinnipiac University men’s hockey team.
In the Bobcats’ season opener this past Monday night, Fawcett made his presence felt upon registering both his first collegiate goal and assist in a 9-2 rout of Sacred Heart. A photo posted to the Twitter account for the Quinnipiac hockey program showed a smiling Fawcett holding the puck that was deposited into the net at 14:27 of the second period.
“It’s in the bedroom of my dorm,” said Fawcett when asked about holding on to a keepsake that holds the promise of serving of a harbinger of what’s to come this winter for a Quinnipiac squad that ranks 11th in the latest USCHO Division I poll.
Fawcett says all the credit goes to teammate Desi Burgart for delivering a pinpoint pass that allowed the local lad “to just bang it away. It was a great moment and even better to do it in our season opener.”
“It was definitely an adjustment, but I felt the coaches did a great job in developing all of the freshmen and that I was able to get a lot out of it,”
— Lincoln native and Quinnipiac sophomore Matt Fawcett
To understand Fawcett’s break-through moment, let’s revisit his 2019-20 freshman season with the Bobcats. He dressed in 13 games but did not record a point. What was described as a learning experience also included the promise that better days were on the horizon – mainly because Fawcett made sure to seize every opportunity that was presented.
“It was definitely an adjustment, but I felt the coaches did a great job in developing all of the freshmen and that I was able to get a lot out of it,” said Fawcett, who shined enough in the classroom to be named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team.
His pre-college hockey journey included stops at Moses Brown, where he attended middle school and ninth grade, and three seasons at The Winchendon School where Fawcett registered 71 goals and 93 assists during his tenure at the Massachusetts-based boarding school. The last spot before heading to Quinnipiac included a one-year stint in 2018-19 with a Canadian Junior “A” Hockey club called the Power River Kings.
“It’s nice to be back closer to home. My family can come to the games [at Quinnipiac], though obviously not this year,” said Fawcett.
Last year’s Quinnipiac outfit was gearing up for the ECAC Tournament when midMarch rolled around. The pandemic’s arrival shuttered the campus and forced Fawcett to return home where he finished out his academic responsibilities.
Sometime during the month April, Fawcett was able to get on the ice at R.I. Sports Center. The mix of those he trained with included teammates from Quinnipiac along with local products.
It’s been a slow buildup to the first puck drop of the season as college sports around the country continue to work tirelessly within the ever-changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When we got back together as a group in August, we weren’t sure when our season was going to start,” said Fawcett. “We were training in small pods, but you had to stay patient knowing that the day would come. We had to be smart … social distancing and following protocols so we can stay on the ice and play games.”
The pregame line sheet that was posted prior to Quinnipiac’s two wins over Sacred Heart – the Bobcats followed the 9-2 win with a 2-1 overtime triumph that took place Tuesday night – featured Fawcett as a winger on the third line. Listed at 5-foot-6, Fawcett understands that advantageous circumstances will only come if he’s able to locate his preferred sweet spots.
“I’ve got to be smart where I go,” he said. “Having a good center of gravity is important for me to find open areas.”
Fawcett and the Bobcats will look to remain perfect when Bowling Green – a team nipping at the Bobcats in the polls – comes to Connecticut for a two-game series that begins Friday night.
“We’ve got to be ready to go because we have eight games in 14 days,” said Fawcett. “It’s a lot of hockey, but it’s also great because it means we’re playing.”
• The recent news of Liam Coen becoming the new offensive coordinator of the University of Kentucky football program means that Coen’s good pal doesn’t have to go out of his way to shop for apparel that’s shaded blue and white. After all, those are the preferred colors of head coach Josh Lima’s Cumberland High football program.
As thrilled as Lima is to see Coen continue to advance his coaching career – moving on from the college ranks at UMass and Maine to a job with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams before returning to the college sidelines with Kentucky – Lima understands that Coen’s new position represents a great chance to further expand his own football acumen. In turn, the Clippers stand to benefit as a result of Lima soaking in what Coen has in store for SEC defenses.
“As a friend, I’m excited to see what he can do with the [Kentucky] offense. To maybe have the opportunity to get down there and see a game is going to be awesome,” said
Lima. “He’s going to put his own spin on that offense which is going to be fun to see. The neat part is going to be watching on Saturdays and knowing what’s coming.”
• With UMass scheduled to host Bryant in men’s college basketball this coming Monday, a trip to this paper’s archives revealed that on January 17, 2017, Erickson Bans finished with 24 points and 13 assists for Shea High, while Dyondre Dominguez had 13 points for Tolman High as part of a 66-49 win for the Raiders at The Cage.
Nearly four years later, two products from the same AAU grassroots program (Expressions Elite) are set to square off again with Bans in the Bulldogs’ camp with Dominguez donning a Minutemen jersey.
• Central Falls AD Anthony Ficocelli recently threw down the gauntlet on a major challenge. Should anyone hit a baseball over the 460-foot sign in straight away center field during a high school game at the Warriors’ refurbished Macomber Stadium, Ficocelli would shell out for as many burgers from Stanley’s Famous Hamburgers as the longball artist is able to consume.
• As of Thursday, The GoFundMe page that was set up for former Call/Times sportswriter Steve Mazzone has netted his family an impressive $10,000. As we wrote last week, Mazzone has many supporters – particularly in the running community – who probably couldn’t wait to help upon hearing that his wife Angela had passed away due to COVID-19.
• The silent auction part of the PawSox’ Ballyard Sale ended up netting $4,000 for the team’s charitable foundation. The top items and prices: Jim Rice Autographed Baseball: $1,093.54, Pedro Martinez Autographed Replica Jersey: $872.63, McCoy Stadium Seat: $766.38, and a Wade Boggs Autographed Baseball: $398.04.
• This column would have been longer, but it’s time to get cracking on the Times/ Call All-Area teams for the high school fall season. Those bios aren’t going to write themselves! Coming soon to a sports section near you!
Follow Brendan McGair on Twitter @ BWMcGair03. Check out the “Ocean State Sidelines” podcast that appears on www. pawtuckettimes.com and www.woonsocketcall.com