The start of the 2005-06 season didn’t go how it was supposed to for Matt Duffy, a Windham native who was selected in the fourth round of last year’s National Hockey League entry draft.

In ’04-05, Duffy, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 195 pounds, dominated his final season playing for the Manchester (NH) Junior Monarchs. In 54 games, he had 19 goals (10 on the power play) and 25 assists. He was rewarded with the Eastern Junior Hockey League’s Defenseman of the Year award.

Last fall, he headed to the University of Maine as a top recruit. Next came the rude awakening.

“The first couple of months I was in and out of the lineup, and it was a little frustrating,” said Duffy. “But then there was an injury, and I got put back in and ever since then I’ve been in there.

Duffy is understating his turnaround. There’s a little more to it than that.

During the last month of the regular season he had an assist in a tie against the University of Massachusetts and two goals – including the game-clincher – in a win over UMass-Lowell. He was rewarded by Hockey East with Superskills Rookie of the Month honors.

Things only got better for Duffy as the Black Bears advanced into the postseason. He had a goal and an assist in the 5-4 East Regional final win over Michigan State that put Maine in its third Frozen Four in the last five years. For that performance, Duffy was rewarded with a spot on the All-Tournament team.

“Right now I feel really good out there and I feel like I’m really contributing to the team as the season is going on,” he said. “There’s more open ice and it’s faster and more physical, but I think overall I’ve adapted to the play pretty good.”

Duffy’s dad, Mike, who tries to give his son a pep talk before every game – whether he needs it or not – said there was more to the adjustment from junior hockey than just the on-ice stuff.

“People don’t realize, going to college and playing college hockey at a high level like a D-1 school like Maine is a full-time job,” he said. “I mean, he’s up weightlifting every day, practice afterwards, then he goes to study hall at night. I mean, they’re on a tough schedule and everybody’s watching them, making sure they don’t go off the deep end.”

Mike and the rest of the Duffy clan will be doing the watching this week as the Black Bears play Wisconsin in the NCAA national semifinals in Milwaukee. Mike and his wife Cheryl will be at the game, along with Duffy’s brother, Sean and two of his friends; Duffy’s sister, Kristal, and her boyfriend; and Duffy’s girlfriend, Jenna, and her family.

“It’s great. They’ve been to pretty much every game I’ve played,” said Duffy. “So it’s nice to have them there.”

Even if Mike does hassle him with a pre-game pep talk. What did Mike have planned for Thursday?

“I’ll probably just say, ‘You know what you’ve got to do. Keep playing the way you’ve been playing.'”

And Duffy does know what he needs to do.

“I’ll just try to keep the puck out of the net and if I get a chance to score I try to put it in the net,” he said. “Other than that, just try to create some odd-man rushes.”

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