Washington Capitals Prospect Report: Benton Maass December 2020

Benton Maass
UNH Alternate Captain

*This article reposted with permission from Jon Sorensen, novacapsfans.com

The COVID pandemic delayed the start of Hockey East's season and has limited Benton Maass and UNH to just 3 games. In his fourth year of NCAA eligibility, Maass is UNH's longest-tenured defenseman and was selected alternate captain.

In a 6-2 win over cross-border rival Maine on December 12th, Maass played one of his best NCAA games. In the offensive end, Maass showed some of the offensive flare of his freshman campaign (4 goals, 13 assists, in 44 games). He lead the team with 5 shots on goal, scored on his third shot in the first period, and rang the post on his fourth shot. On both plays, Maass glides backdoor from the blueline to the faceoff circle and snaps off a one-timer past the Maine goalie (see highlight video).



In the defensive zone, Maass displayed his relentless ability to block shots. Trailing by two goals midway through the third period, Maine went on a 4-on-3 power play. In his role as top defender on UNH's penalty kill unit, Maass denied Maine with a sequence of three blocked shots in 45 seconds, the last two without his stick. His efforts effectively closed the door on Maine. They did not score another goal and UNH eventually added two more.