November 7, 2008
Foster-ing Something Special
UNH's New No. 1 Goaltender Waited His Turn, Now Hopes to Lead UNH to Promised Land
by Matthew Conyers/CHN Reporter
The plan was to use both of them.
But senior goalie Kevin Regan had other ideas.
Less than 10 games into New Hampshire's 2007-08 campaign, it became clear there would be no platoon system. Instead it would be Regan and Regan alone, so sophomore Brian Foster sat and sat some more.
"It was a little tough," Foster said. "You don't really know what to do, but you just get used to it. You've got to focus on getting better and being ready whenever you get your opportunity."
Throughout the season, he did get his chances -- he played in six games -- but it was Regan's show. As the senior put up Hobey-like numbers for the Wildcats, Foster waited patiently. He knew his moment would arrive soon enough.
And it did. Just one year later.
This season, Foster is making up for lost time. The athletic goalie from Pembroke, N.H., has helped lead New Hampshire to a 4-1-2 record and a 2-0-2 record in Hockey East going into this weekend's non-league games at Minnesota. In six games, Foster, a Florida Panthers draft pick, has gone 4-1-1 and has a 1.48 goals against average and a .951 save percentage.
"I wanted to come in have good year right from the start," Foster said. "But most importantly, I wanted to give my team a chance to win."
Foster is certainly doing that. The Junior has gotten wins against Wisconsin, Rensselaer, Boston University and Northeastern -- three of which are nationally ranked. But maybe even more encouraging for New Hampshire is the fact that Foster has stepped in perfectly and not allowed the team to miss a beat after the departure of Regan.
"He took the spot right over," New Hampshire coach Dick Umile said. "He's a No. 1 goaltender. He's proven that he's going to be a top goalie."
Earlier this week, Foster was named the Hockey East Goalie of the Month for October. He has stopped 30-plus shots in four games and allowed two goals or less in five of his six starts. Against UMass, Foster made 38 saves in a 1-1 tie.
"I feel like I'm playing well," Foster said. "I'm very comfortable in net and at the moment everything is going how I hoped."
For Umile and the rest of the New Hampshire, the sudden transformation of Foster into a bona fide top tier goalie is no surprise. They saw it coming nearly two years ago.
"We were expecting him to play more after his freshman season and compete for us, but Kevin had a career year," Umile said. "Other than that Brian would've played more."
"It was tough for Brian but he handled it well."
During the season on the bench, Foster watched Regan closely. He figured he could pick up a tip or two.
"I watched him to see how I should portray myself on the ice and to my team," Foster said. "He always worked hard and he lead by example."
Early on, Umile has seen those traits in Foster.
"In the dry land training, you can see just how athletic he is and how hard he works," Umile said. "[Kevin] had an incredible work ethic and I think Brian saw how he worked off the ice.
Although Foster says he picked up a few traits last season, he believes the year didn't change him that much.
"I'm pretty much the same goalie as I was before," Foster said. "There's nothing I changed too much after last year. I just try to use my position to recover well and not give up too many rebounds."
There are moments from last season, however, that have stuck with Foster.
For example, the loss to eventual runner-up Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
"Obviously, it's not a good feeling, there were some bad bounces and then its one game and done," Foster said. "It gives us a reason to come back and work harder this season. It definitely doesn't haunt us. It helps us. We're not going to make the same mistake."
With the hope of returning to the tournament and beyond, Foster has approached this season with vigor.
"We're very happy with him, he's got his confidence up and he's covering up a lot of our mistakes," Umile said. "It's exciting watching him take the ice as the home-state goalie."
Foster arrived at New Hampshire via the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL in 2005-06, where he recorded a 2.81 goals against average and a .903 save percentage during the team's run to the championship. He also logged time for the USA Under-17 that won the gold medal at the Five Nations Tournament in Slovakia in 2003.
Yet it's where Foster played before the Buccaneers that really gets fans from New Hampshire excited. As a home state boy, Foster played two seasons for the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs of the EJHL.
"Once and awhile I will think about [playing in my home state] but it's not something that crosses my mind a lot," Foster said. "People will some times call and tell me they're watching me. It's good too hear that."
The accolades and praise from locals are nice, but Foster prefers the big games.
"It's a lot of fun [playing for a top team], it makes hockey a lot more fun," Foster said. "I like knowing I'm the guy my teammates look to."
In Durham, it's once again a one-man show between the pipes.
