Maine 1, Stony Brook 4

The University of Maine Black Bears (9-21, 5-4 AE) returned to Mahaney Diamond on Saturday, April 7 to take on the Stony Brook Seawolves (17-12, 6-3 AE). Pitching for the Black Bears was third-year Eddie Emerson. On the mound for Stony Brook was second-year Brian Herrmann.

Both teams were scoreless until the fourth inning when Maine’s fourth-year designated hitter Jonathan Bennett ripped a single back up the middle scoring fourth-year catcher Christopher Bec from third to take a 1-0 lead.

It continued to be a pitchers’ duel until the seventh when Stony Brook’s first-year catcher John Tuccillo doubled off the left field fence and was driven in by fourth-year infielder Bobby Honeyman’s double off the fence in right to tie it at one. First-year pitcher Matt Geoffrion took over for Emerson with one out and immediately ran into trouble.

A passed ball sent Honeyman to third and he was then brought home on a single between first and second by second-year outfielder Chris Hamilton to take a one-run lead for Stony Brook.

The Seawolves extended the lead to two in the eighth when a base hit to left from second-year infielder Nick Grande slipped through Maine third-year outfielder Colin Ridley’s legs. Grande would then score on a single to left from Tuccillo to take a 4-1 lead.

Ridley made up for his error later in the inning when he threw a dart home to make Tuccillo rethink going home on a single to left, saving a run.

Fourth-year sidearm pitcher Connor Johnson took over on the mound for Maine with one out and runners on second and third in the eighth. Johnson kept Stony Brook scoreless for the remainder of the game, but so did Herrmann as the Seawolves held on to beat the Black Bears by a final score of 4-1.

Herrmann went the full nine innings, allowing only one earned run on six hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

Emerson was solid in his outing, giving up just two earned runs on four hits with no walks and four strikeouts.

Maine beats out Stony Brook in Game 2, tying up series

Maine 4, Stony Brook 2

The University of Maine Black Bears and the Stony Brook Seawolves played Game 2 of their double-header on Saturday afternoon at Mahaney Diamond. The Black Bears looked to tie the series at one game apiece after dropping the first game by a score of 4-1. Pitching for the Black Bears was fourth-year John Arel. Third-year pitcher Bret Clarke was on the mound for the Seawolves.

Third-year infielder Jeremy Pena tripled to left on Maine’s first at-bat of the game and later scored from third when Bec grounded in to a double play, putting the Black Bears up 1-0.

Stony Brook tied the game at one in the next half inning when Honeyman tagged and scored on a sacrifice fly to left field off the bat of third-year outfielder Christian Montes. Stony Brook took the lead one hitter later when third-year infielder Brandon Janofsky singled to left, scoring third-year catcher Sean Buckhout.

Maine tied the game at two in the following inning when Ridley doubled down the right field line, bringing home Bennett. Ridley was then brought in by second-year catcher Cody Pasic on a double to center, giving the Black Bears a 3-2 lead.

Maine extended the lead to two runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning when Ridley drove in second-year infielder Kevin Doody from second on a base-hit to right field.

Second-year pitcher Cody Laweryson came in to close out the game and did so, picking up his second save of the season.

Arel was credited with the win, improving to 3-0 on the year. Arel went six innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs while walking two and striking out five.

Stony Brook takes Game 3 to win series

Maine 2, Stony Brook 5

The University of Maine Black Bears returned to Mahaney Diamond on Sunday, April 8 to host the Stony Brook Seawolves in their third game of a three-game weekend series. The teams split the two games on Saturday. Third-year pitcher Nick Silva got the start for the Black Bears with second-year Greg Marino pitching for the Seawolves.

Stony Brook got off to a strong start, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Second-year outfielder Michael Wilson got the scoring started when he singled to right field, scoring Grande and advancing Tuccillo to third. Tuccillo was then brought in on a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Honeyman to extend their lead to two. The score was brought to 3-0 later in the inning when Hamilton singled in Wilson.

The Black Bears got a run back in the bottom half of the first when Bec was brought in from second on a single to right by second-year first baseman Hernen Sardinas.

However, the lead would go back to three runs in the next half inning when Grande scored on an error.

Tuccillo extended the lead to 5-1 in the fourth on a hit to the left side between Maine’s shortstop and third baseman that scored Grande from second.

The Black Bears added one more run in the bottom of the seventh but it wasn’t enough, as they went on to lose 5-2 to Stony Brook, dropping two of the three games in the weekend series.

Marino was credited with the win, putting him at 2-1 on the season while Silva fell to 2-3 on the year.

The Black Bears return to the diamond on Friday, April 13 when they travel to New Jersey to take on Monmouth University. The game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Stony Brook will play again Tuesday, April 10 against Iona. The game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Overall it was a successful season for the University of Maine men’s hockey team, who finished with a record of 18-16-4 and 10-11-3 against Hockey East teams. This was a huge turnaround from last year’s 11-21-4 season.

The Black Bears were eliminated in the second round of the Hockey East tournament by Providence College, who went on to lose in the championship game to Boston University. Maine didn’t make it easy for the Friars, losing both games of the series by only one goal. Providence also shut out No. 9 seeded Clarkson in the first round of the NCAA tournament, falling to Notre Dame in the next round.  

A big piece in this turnaround was first-year goaltender and Boston Bruins draft choice Jeremy Swayman. Swayman finished the season with a record of 15-13-3 and a save percentage of .920, which was the fourth-best nationally among rookie goalies. He was also named to the Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team and was among the eight players on the All Star Honorable Mention list.

Another Maine player on that list was second-year forward Chase Pearson. Pearson finished the season with 103 shots on goal, a number that placed him second among Maine forwards. He also liked to contribute defensively, blocking 24 shots.

Second-year forward Mitchell Fossier led the team in points, finishing with 12 goals and 22 assists for a total of 34 points. He had four points in four games during the Hockey East tournament, three of which came from assists.

Maine’s Head Coach Red Gendron, who just recently signed a two-year contract extension through the 2021 season, was pleased with his team’s performance this year.

“We just finished an exciting year with a very young and very talented group of Black Bears. Our players, our coaches and our staff all know how very bright our program’s future is. Everyone in our program craves the work and relishes the challenges of doing their parts to propel Maine to the summit of college hockey,” Gendron said at the press conference announcing his extension, as quoted on the university’s athletics website.

Gendron has been with the team since 1990. Until 2013, he was an assistant coach under former head coaches Shawn Walsh and Tim Whitehead. Gendron has a record of 49-71-17 in his five seasons as a head coach.

“We very much appreciate Red’s ongoing efforts to build this team to a championship level,” UMaine interim Athletics Director Jim Settele said at that same press conference. “Under his leadership, we had an exciting year reaching the Hockey East quarterfinals, and we know that next year should be even more impressive. The coaching staff’s guidance of our players has allowed them to succeed on the ice and in the classroom. With a returning core of solid players and some fantastic recruits, expectations are high for next year, and we look forward to Coach Gendron leading the way.”

The Black Bears will be without fourth-year forwards Nolan Vesey, Cedric Lacroix and Canon Pieper and fourth-year defenseman Mark Hamilton next year. Vesey will continue to play hockey with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2014 NHL entry draft.

Despite the loss of some great players, Maine has a lot of young talent heading forward. Although they’re losing a strong defenseman in Hamilton, there are a lot of solid players who shouldn’t have any problem filling that hole. First-year defenseman Brady Keeper will be a major key. He finished this past season leading the Black Bears in plus-minus, going +17. He also led all defensemen in points with six goals and 16 assists for a total of 22 points.

Third-year defenseman Rob Michel and second-year defenseman Patrick Holway are both experienced players who should have no problem keeping opposing teams to low shot totals. They will also have Swayman returning as a last line of defense.

The Maine Black Bears are in line for another winning record next season.

The University of Maine Black Bears (17-14-4, 10-11-3 HEA) hosted the University of New Hampshire Wildcats (10-19-6, 5-14-5 HEA) on Friday night at the Alfond. It was the first game of the best of three series in the Hockey East opening round.

In net for the Black Bears was first-year goaltender Jeremy Swayman (14-10-3). Fourth-year goalie and assistant captain Danny Tirone (10-16-6) got the start in net for the Wildcats.

A little over two minutes into the first period, third-year winger Brendan Robbins tried to go short side on a two on one to put Maine on the board early but was met by the Tirone’s glove. About seven minutes in, Maine had another chance to take the lead when second-year winger Mitchell Fossier beat a UNH defender and cut across the middle but rang the post.

About nine minutes later, Maine’s fourth-year winger Nolan Vesey was sent to the box for cross checking. Eight seconds into the ensuing powerplay, UNH second-year center Liam Blackburn put home a rebound to take a 1-0 lead. Just under two minutes later, Maine thought they tied it but the goal was waved off for a high stick. After further review the call was upheld. Although they didn’t leave the period with the lead, the Black Bears dominated the first in shots, 19-9.

Maine was able to tie the game just over three minutes into the second period when Robbins slipped between two defenders to beat out an icing call and slapped the puck on net, slipping it between Tirone’s blocker and his body. Maine had a chance to take the lead two minutes later when UNH second-year defenseman Anthony Wyse went to the box for tripping, but they weren’t able to convert on a couple of good chances.

The Wildcats had their chance to take the lead later in the period when fourth-year winger Jason Salvaggio took a shot from the high slot, but Swayman came up with a huge glove save to keep the game tied at one. Maine finished the period still leading in shots 31-20.

UNH looked like they had taken the lead three minutes into the third period when the puck deflected off first-year winger Charlie Kelleher’s helmet and dropped into the net. The goal was waved off and the game remained tied. Less than a minute later, Fossier hit the post and the puck was loose in front but nobody could manage to dig it home. A few minutes later, Maine’s second-year center Tim Doherty went to the box for tripping. On the penalty kill, first-year winger Emil Westerlund came up with a huge block to once again keep the game knotted at one.

Maine’s fourth-year center Cedric Lacroix finally broke the tie with just over three minutes to go in the game when he buried a rebound for his fifth goal on the season. UNH pulled Tirone with 1:45 to go but 21 seconds later, Doherty put one in the open net. Maine sealed the deal with just over a minute left when Lacroix dove and poked the puck into the empty net for his second of the game.

The Black Bears won by a score of 4-1, putting an astounding 49 shots on net to New Hampshire’s 27. They also took a 1-0 series lead heading into Saturday night’s game.

“We played better as the game went along, but we didn’t play that rush well,” UNH Head Coach Dick Umile said, referring to Lacroix’s go-ahead goal.

Red Gendron, Maine’s head coach also commented on the game.

“We were solid, but we’ve got to be better tomorrow night. Their goalie played great.” he said

Lacroix was impressed with his team’s persistence.

“We didn’t get flustered after they scored the first goal. We played well. Their goalie played very well. We got a lot of shots,” he said.

Maine completes sweep

The University of Maine Black Bears returned to the ice Saturday night for game two of the three-game series with the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. For UNH it was win or go home as Maine had a chance to close out the series with a win.

Swayman was back in net for the Black Bears and Tirone got the start again for the Wildcats.

Maine had the game’s first chance early when Doherty received a pass in front from Vesey but Tirone was there to make the stick save. Maine had another good chance midway through the period when Fossier protected the puck. He drove past a UNH defenseman but just missed the far side corner, lobbing the puck over the net. Less than a minute later, UNH jumped out in front when second-year center Liam Blackburn cut across the slot and patiently waited until Swayman was down and out to lift the puck over him. The Black Bears left the first period down 1-0 but doubled New Hampshire’s shots 14-7.

Maine was able to knot the game at one just over three minutes into the second period when Fossier redirected a shot from third-year defenseman Rob Michel. Shortly after, Fossier thought he had another when he dug home a rebound three minutes later, but the goal was waved off due to a whistle prior to the puck crossing the line.

Just under the midway point of the second, Swayman came up with a huge save with the left pad to keep the game tied. Maine had an opportunity about five minutes later when they had a two-on-one rush on a penalty kill. Robbins cut across the high slot and tried to beat Tirone up high but the puck deflected off the knob of his stick and up into the netting for a whistle.

With just over three minutes to go in the period, Robbins went to the box for a high stick at the same time that Salvaggio went for roughing, creating four-on-four play for two minutes. During the four-on-four, Vesey took a pass from Michel as they entered the zone and released a bullet, beating Tirone far side to the right corner to take the lead. The goal was reviewed but the call was upheld. Maine finished the period up 35-18 in shots.

About nine minutes into the third, Maine had a chance to go up two when they had a three-on-one opportunity but couldn’t get a shot off. They had another chance three minutes later on a two-on-one but once again came up short when Tirone made a big save with the left pad. Maine went on the power play with less than four minutes to go in the game when first-year defenseman Max Gildon was sent to the box for slashing. Less than a minute into the power play, Michel let go of a one-timer that was saved by Tirone but left in front for first-year winger Eduards Tralmaks who buried it to go up two goals. New Hampshire added another goal but it wasn’t enough, as Maine went on to win by a final of 3-2, sweeping the Wildcats.

“We played strong both nights,” Fossier said. “Tirone played very well but thankfully we were able to sneak a few past him.”

Tralmaks, who scored the game-winning goal, felt like this was a much needed game for him, commenting “I had lost my confidence in past games, but this was huge.”

Vesey also mentioned that this was a good bounce-back game for him.

“When none of them fall it can get frustrating,” he said. “It was good to see one finally go in. Hopefully it will open the floodgates for me.”

“Nolan [Vesey] and I actually talked about it,” Tralmaks said. “We said we needed to score to win.”

Maine is set to take on Providence College next weekend in the Hockey East Quarterfinals.

After sweeping the University of New Hampshire Wildcats, the Maine Black Bears will take on the Providence College Friars next weekend in the Hockey East Quarterfinals.

Maine heads into the three-game series with a record of 18-14-4 overall and 10-11-3 in the Hockey East regular season. The Black Bears are ranked sixth in Hockey East.

Providence enters the game as the third seed with an overall record of 20-10-4 and a Hockey East record of 13-7-4.

Maine has yet to beat the Friars in two meetings this year, losing by a score of 3-0 in the first game and 3-2 in overtime in the second.

First-year Jeremy Swayman, Maine’s primary goaltender enters the series with a save percentage of .922, a goals against average of 2.66 and an overall record of 15-10-3.

Providence premier goalie, third-year Hayden Hawkey has a save percentage of .916, a goals against average of 2.12 and an overall record of 20-10-3. The Montreal Canadiens’ 2014 sixth round draft choice may have to find a way to stop a large number of shots if Maine brings the offensive pressure that they showed against New Hampshire.

Maine is coming off a 92-shot weekend against UNH, which is an outrageous amount for only playing two games. For Maine’s fourth-year left wing Nolan Vesey and first-year right wing Eduards Tralmaks it was a bounce back series as both players scored to end their scoreless slumps.

Vesey went 13 games without putting a puck in the net until Saturday night when he beat UNH fourth-year goalie Danny Tirone on a beautiful shot to the top right corner.

Tralmarks’ goalless drought lasted nine games before scoring Saturday night when he put away the eventual game-winner on a rebound goal.

Tralmarks and Vesey both felt like they needed to end their goalless streaks in order to help their team win. They were also hopeful that ending their droughts could create momentum for them heading forward in the tournament.

“Nolan and I actually talked about it. We said we needed to score to win,” Tralmarks said following Saturday night’s game.

“When none of them fall it can get frustrating,” Vesey said. “It was good to see one finally go in. Hopefully it will open the floodgates for me.”

Third-year defenseman Rob Michel had a breakthrough game on Saturday as well, dishing out assists on all three Black Bear goals and earning first star of the game. Michel entered the game with 14 points on the season; five coming from goals and nine from assists. He also had a strong game defensively to go along with his offensive presence.

Maine will be faced with the task of shutting down first-year forward and St. Louis Blues’ 2015 third round pick Erik Foley. Foley has been red-hot all year with 15 goals and 19 assists for a total of 34 points in 32 games. He also carries an impressive plus/minus of +14.

Maine will look to carry the momentum from the opening round series into the quarterfinal series against Providence.

The Maine Black Bears (16-14-4, 10-11-3 HEA) traveled to Chestnut Hill on Friday, Feb. 23 to take on the Eagles of Boston College (18-13-3, 18-6-0 HEA). Maine entered the game 0-1 against Boston College on the year and continues that trend with a final score of 3-6.

In net for the Black Bears was first-year Jeremy Swayman. Across from him was second-year goaltender Joseph Woll.

It was first-year defenseman Veli-Matti Tiuraniemi who opened the scoring for Maine 19 seconds after the Black Bears killed off a penalty. Tiuraniemi beat Woll glove-side for his second goal of the season after receiving a cross ice feed from first-year forward Mitchell Fossier.

Just over a minute and a half into the second period, the Eagles knotted the game at one after first-year forward Logan Hutsko slipped one past Swayman. Not long after, Boston College took the lead after graduate student defenseman Kevin Lohan shot the puck through traffic, beating Swayman. With just over five minutes to go in the period, Lohan scored his second goal of the game, picking the top corner from the hash marks and extending the lead to two, making it 3-1 Eagles. The Black Bears applied some pressure late in the period, but couldn’t find a way to beat Woll.

Early in the third period, Boston College scored again to make it a three-goal lead when first-year forward Casey Carreau potted a goal on a two-on-one. Not long afterward however, Maine cut the lead to two after second-year forward Brendan Robbins ripped a one-timer that deflected off a Boston College player and then off first-year forward Emil Westerlund and into the net. Boston College scored two more to take a commanding 6-2 lead. Maine would tally one more off the stick of first-year Patrick Shea, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Eagles went on the beat the Black Bears 6-3.

Swayman finished the night with 29 saves and six goals allowed. Woll finished with 32 saves, including 18 in the second period.

Maine and Boston College will play their final regular season games of the year on Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill.

Black Bears fall in second game

The Maine Black Bears and the Boston College Eagles played their final regular season games of the year Saturday night on the Eagle’s home ice. With a final score of 1-2, the Eagles finished off the weekend sweeping the Black Bears.

Swayman was back in net for the Black Bears and Woll started for the Eagles.

Boston College got on the board first when second-year forward David Cotton carried the puck around the back of the net and placed it over Swayman’s pad to take the lead. The Eagles finished the period leading in shots 9-4.

Boston College extended the lead to two just under five minutes into the second period on the power play when third-year forward Christopher Brown took a pass from first-year forward Aapeli Rasanen and lofted it to the top left corner. Midway through the period, first-year forward Edward Tralmarks had the chance to cut the lead in half when he was awarded a penalty shot after being hooked on a breakaway. However, Woll was able to keep the Black Bears scoreless with a pad save. Maine was finally able to get on the board later in the second when second-year defenseman Rob Michael received a pass at the right dot from Fossier and put it through Woll’s legs.

Maine had a few opportunities in the third period but was unable to capitalize. After pulling Swayman on the power play with about 30 seconds left, the Black Bears had a 6-on-4 but weren’t able to beat Woll as Boston College went on to win.

Swayman finished with 28 saves on the game, while Woll finished with 26.

Maine enters the Hockey East Tournament as the No. 6 seed and will host the No. 11 seed New Hampshire Wildcats. This is the first time the two teams have faced off in the opening round of the tournament. Maine holds a playoff record of 5-1-0 against New Hampshire in the four series they’ve previously played against one another. Maine got the better of New Hampshire in the regular season with a head-to-head record of 1-0-2 in favor of the Black Bears. This is the first time the teams will meet in the playoffs since 2004. The first playoff game will be Friday March 2 with a 7 p.m. puck drop.

The University of Maine Black Bears (19-13-5) returned to the ice Friday, Feb. 23 to host the Terriers of Boston University (14-17-6) in the first game of the Hockey East Quarterfinals. Maine has won all three of the previous games against BU this year with two wins coming on the road and one at home. Starting in goal for the Black Bears was second-year Carly Jackson (15-10-5). Across from her was first-year goaltender Corinne Schroeder (12-7-4).

Maine got out in front early when first-year winger Josefine Engmann picked up a loose puck and put it past a down-and-out Schroeder. The goal was reviewed for goaltender interference but was upheld. Later in the period the Black Bears went up two after second-year center Tereza Vanisova picked up a loose puck in front and roofed it. This goal was also reviewed but upheld. Less than a minute later, fourth-year winger Catherine Tufts snuck one past Schroeder to extend the lead to three goals. Schroeder was pulled following the Black Bears’ third goal and fourth-year goaltender Erin O’Neil took over in net for Boston University. Fifteen seconds later, BU’s fourth-year forward Nina Rodgers was able to beat Jackson to cut the lead to two. The Terriers finished the period leading in shots 11-8.

Less than a minute into the second, first-year center Michelle Weis beat her man to the outside for a breakaway with a chance to go up three. O’Neil had other ideas, and made a spectacular save with 10 minutes to go in the period, Maine received a penalty for too many players on the ice. On the ensuing power play, fourth-year center Victoria Bach was able to beat Jackson, picking the top right corner to cut the lead down to one, making it 3-2 Black Bears. Boston University continued to lead in shots after two periods, 20-17.

Maine began the third period on the power play after Boston University’s second-year defenseman Brenna Scarpaci picked up a hooking penalty with 52 seconds to go in the second period. During the power play, Bach went on a breakaway after picking up a loose puck in the neutral zone, but was shut down by Jackson. Maine went on the power play again shortly afterward but again wasn’t able to capitalize. With a minute and a half to go, Boston University pulled its goalie, but wasn’t able to put one past Jackson as the Black Bears went on to win 3-2. Maine also took a series lead 1-0. Total shots were 33-23 in favor of Maine.

BU Head Coach Brian Durocher liked the way his team played with the exception of the first period.

“I thought the team [played] pretty well,” he said. “We didn’t come out of the gate well, you know, the first handful of minutes and really not great in the last 10 minutes. We gave them some really good, grade A chances and Erin O’Neil did a super job of keeping the game 3-2 and giving us a chance right at the end.”

Durocher was optimistic about his team’s chances for the second game of the series.

“We have to do the same thing we’ve been doing for a while now, try to play really good defense and a lot of our offense comes from Rebecca Leslie [fourth-year winger], Victoria Bach and Nina Rodgers. Those are three very established players and very good players who didn’t play in the series in Boston. We’ve got to play the same way and ideally I’d love to see one of our other two lines find a way to get a goal. That will be important for us because they’re the home team and they’re going to try to close it out tomorrow,” Durocher said.

Erin O’Neil was happy with her performance after not allowing a goal.

“I thought I played pretty well,” she said. “I was able to control rebounds. I was able to see a lot of shots, so I felt good and it was really fun to get in there again.”

She was also happy with her team’s performance.

“I think we came back and we battled really hard. I think that’s a big thing that we didn’t just roll over and die when they got three quick ones. We got another goal back before the first period and continued to kind of battle back throughout the game and I think that’s going to bode really well for us going forward,” O’Neil said.

“I think we stuck to our game plan pretty well,” Maine’s Head Coach Richard Reichenbach said. “You know, obviously Tereza [Vanisova] was able to get some of space and create a lot of offense. I think she had eight shots on net. She hadn’t scored in a while so it was nice for her to get a couple assists and score the second goal.

“I think the key for us with [Boston University], they’re so good offensively. Obviously, they have two of the best players in the country with [Rebecca] Leslie and [Victoria] Bach. It’s just about us being committed to team defense and making sure we’re backchecking, our [defensive] zone is executing and we’re forechecking really hard. I think in the second and third. Even though we scored all of the goals in the first, I think defensively we were better in the second and third. Especially in the third, I think we limited them to six or seven shots, so that’s kind of the game plan tomorrow.”

Carly Jackson, who stopped 21 of 23 shots, was thrilled with getting the first win out of the way.

“I just feel super happy that we won our first game. I think that was our first playoff win in program history, so I mean it was pretty exciting right down to the last buzzer and I think our team played pretty hard today,” Jackson said.

The Black Bears resume play on Saturday with game two of the best-of-three series with BU.

Terriers even up series, force Game 3

The Maine Black Bears hosted the Boston University Terriers on Saturday afternoon at the Alfond. Maine entered the game up 1-0 in the best-of-three series looking to send the Terriers home.

Starting in goal for Maine in game was Jackson. O’Neil got the start in net for BU.

BU opened the scoring just over six minutes into the first period when Bach let go of a shot that trickled through Jackson. Maine couldn’t stay out of the box but managed to kill off all three penalties they received during the period. BU led in shots six to four during the first.

BU wasted no time getting back on the board early in the second period after Leslie gave a pass to Bach, got it right back and picked the top right corner. Just over a minute later, Maine thought they had cut the lead down to one but upon further review the puck never crossed the line. With less than seven minutes to go in the period, O’Neil made a glove save on a rebound in front of what looked like an open cage to keep the Black Bears scoreless. Later in the period BU’s third-year defenseman Reagan Rust picked up a penalty for hooking. Just 10 seconds into the ensuing penalty kill, BU’s first-year center Jesse Compher drove to the net and put one past Jackson, extending the lead to 3-0 for the Terriers. BU finished the period leading in shots 17-14.

BU nearly extended the lead to four early in the third when Leslie ripped one off the crossbar. Six minutes and 51 seconds into the period, Vanisova put the Black Bears on the board after beating O’Neil five hole after driving the puck to the front of the net. Maine pulled their goalie with less than a minute remaining in the game but couldn’t find a way to beat O’Neil. Leslie added an empty net goal to finish off the Black Bears 4-1.

Durocher was pleased with Boston University’s performance.

“I think today was a pretty thorough game, you know we didn’t have the best nor a slightly suspect ending to last night’s game. We got out of the gate and played pretty well and obviously got the first goal and I think there was one early in the second if I remember correctly and all of a sudden we got a little bit of a lead and there was a huge, huge back-door save with the glove by Erin O’Neil. She made a save looking in to the left and came back over and got a piece with the glove and that might have been the turning point of the game. We later went down and got a short handed goal to make it three to nothing.”

Durocher has also been pleased with O’Neil’s play as of late.

“Erin [O’Neil] had a neat senior day last Sunday at home. She played well yesterday and played fantastic today. Any time you get on a little bit of a roll you’ve got to have your goaltender doing it.”

Coach Reichenbach was unavailable for comment on the game.

Black Bears take rubber game, head to semifinals

The Maine Black Bears and the Boston University Terriers played their final game of the three-game series on Sunday at the Alfond.

In net for the Black Bears was Jackson. Erin O’Neil (2-8-2) got the start for the BU Terriers.

Maine applied good pressure early, but it was BU who got on the board first when Leslie one-timed a pass from Bach, ripping it to the bottom left corner to beat Jackson with just under 10 minutes to play in the first period. With about five minutes remaining in the period, Maine’s second-year defenseman Ebba Strandberg went to the box for a body check. On the ensuing power play, Bach took a shot that trickled through Jackson to make it 2-0 Terriers. BU finished the period leading in shots 12-9.

Maine was all over BU in the second period but couldn’t find the back of the net. Jackson kept the Terriers from extending the lead two minutes into the period when she slid across the crease to make a pad save on a one-timer. With a little more than five minutes to play in the period, Maine’s first-year winger Daria Tereshkina laid out to block a shot to keep BU’s advantage at two. Maine dominated in shots during the period 12-6 for a total of 21-15 in favor of the Black Bears.

Boston University got back on the board just over four minutes into the third when second-year center Natasza Tarnowski picked up the puck off a turnover in the neutral zone and went bar-down over Jackson’s left shoulder to make it 3-0 Terriers. Maine finally put one past O’Neil four minutes later after BU’s second-year defenseman Abby Cook went to the box for slashing. The goal came from the stick of fourth-year center Brooke Stacey on a rebound. Jackson came up big with a pad save less than a minute later to keep the deficit at two. With seven minutes remaining in the period it was Stacey again who scored on a back-door feed from first-year forward Michelle Weis. Three minutes later, Stacey completed the hat trick while also tying the game at three on a shot from the tops of the circle that beat O’Neil to the top left side. The period ended scoreless, sending the game to overtime. Maine continued to pour on the shots that period, extending their lead in shots to 34-23.

At 4:39 into overtime, Vanisova put home a centering pass from Stacey to close out the series.

“No words to describe it. I’m pretty excited,” Stacey commented after she scored three goals in seven minutes to send the game to overtime. “I think we’re ready for the next step and we’re going to take it to whoever we’re playing.”

“We’re so proud of them and I’m happy we were able to get the win and beat BU,” Reichenbach said. “We just are so proud of [Stacey], you know, Bach and Leslie are two of the best players in the country and I think Stacey just proved she’s as good as anyone.”

Maine will head down to Matthews Arena in Boston for their semifinal game on Saturday, March 3.

The University of Maine Black Bears (17-12-5) and the Boston College (BC) Eagles (27-3-3) kicked off their weekend series Friday afternoon at the Alfond. They faced off once this year on the Eagles’ home ice, where Boston College had a 7-2 victory over the Maine Black Bears. BC picked up where they left off with a commanding 5-0 shutout over Maine.

Despite the outcome, BC got off to a slow start, not recording their first shot until nearly seven minutes into the first period. Midway through the first period Maine’s second-year goaltender Carly Jackson had a huge sprawling save on an open shot in front to keep the score knotted at zero. With 5:38 left in the period, BC’s second-year forward Caitrin Lonergan picked the top left corner to break the tie. From there it was all Eagles. With .7 seconds left on the clock, BC’s second-year forward Delaney Belinskas got a lucky bounce as the puck trickled past Jackson to beat the buzzer. Maine finished the period leading in shots 11-10.

In the second period, Boston College went up 3-0 when Lonergan blocked a shot in the defensive zone and sprung first-year forward Daryl Watts on a breakaway. BC’s fourth-year goalie Katie Burt poked the puck away from Maine’s fourth-year forward Catherine Tufts on a breakaway to keep the Black Bears scoreless. With 15:45 remaining in the period, Boston College third-year forward Makenna Newkirk ripped one past Jackson to put the Eagles up 4-0. After two periods the BC Eagles led in total shots on goal, 25-18.

Maine’s first-year goalie Loryn Porter took over in net for the Black Bears to start the third. She had a strong third period, stopping eight of nine shots. The lone Eagles goal in the period came from the stick of fourth-year defenseman Toni Ann Miano and slipped through the five-hole on a cross-ice feed from first-year forward Willow Corson with 5:11 left in the period. The final shot total was 34-30 in favor of BC.

“I think the big thing was our changes. We were changing when they had the puck on their stick in the neutral zone and that created a lot of odd-man rushes for them, which they capitalized on. We knew that they were a team that if they had good rushes that they’d be able to put the puck in the net, so I think for us tomorrow it’s just going to be a matter of being more disciplined on our changes, keeping our sticks in the lane and just making sure that we’re back checking all the way through,” Maine’s assistant coach Sara Reichenbach commented.

“I thought we played well and any sort of opportunity that Maine got I thought that Katie Burt, our goalie played great for us and they had a couple of good chances, so it’s always good to go on offense when you have a goalie like that that’s really keeping you, you know, making sure that she doesn’t let anything by her, and I thought our team when they had the opportunity to put pucks in they did,” Boston College Head Coach Katie Crowley said.

The Boston College Eagles and University of Maine Black Bears resume play at the Alfond on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Maine plays strong game, can’t top Boston College

The University of Maine Black Bears hosted the Boston College Eagles on Saturday afternoon at the Alfond. Maine players Brooke Stacey, Tufts, Victoria Hummel, Kristin Gilmour and Mikayla Rogers celebrated senior night as they played their final game at the Alfond. The Black Bears fell to 0-2 on the year against Boston College after being shut out by the Eagles on Friday. Boston College was able to pick up the 3-1 win in this one as well. Porter (2-2-0) got the start in goal for the Black Bears. Burt started between the pipes for the Eagles.

Burt kept the game knotted at zero early on when she came up with a big save on a breakaway, stopping Maine’s first-year forward Michelle Weis. Not long after, BC’s second-year forward Erin Connolly scored the game’s first goal on a backhand in front less than five minutes into the first. With less than a minute to go in the period, Maine’s third-year defenseman Alyson Matteau came up with a big block in front of a yawning cage to keep the deficit at one. The shot total after one was 11-9 in favor of Maine.

Boston College increased the lead to two on a goal from Lonergan off a back-door feed from Watts 7:59 into the second period. The Black Bears still lead in shots after two periods, 18-17.

Maine began the third period on the power play following a tripping call on BC’s third-year forward Molly Slowe, however they weren’t able to capitalize. Porter was able to keep her team in the game on a save on an in-close opportunity in front of the net early in the period. Maine cut the Eagle’s lead in half when second-year defenseman Brittany Kucera picked the top right corner from the blue line 5:31 into the period. However, Boston College extended the lead back to two when third-year forward Ryan Little dug home a loose puck in front. The play was reviewed for goaltender interference, but the call was upheld. Just after the halfway mark in the third period, Burt went down after a collision in front. Although she took a minute to get up, she was able to finish the game and pick up the win for the BC Eagles. Maine led the shot totals 32-29.

Maine’s Head Coach Richard Reichenbach was impressed with his team’s performance.

“I think we played 100 times better than yesterday in all areas of the game. I think our power play still needs a little work and we need to work on finishing, but I was really happy with the difference in effort from yesterday and today,” Richard Reichenbach said

Crowley was also happy with her team’s play.

“We try to stay consistent in how we play and you know, we’re still working on it,” she said. “I mean we have a fairly young team and I thought overall the weekend was very good for us. Maine played much better I thought today than they did yesterday. They put up a little bit more of a fight and it was a little tougher game, but I thought overall it was a very good hockey game and we were able to capitalize on more opportunities.”

Crowley was also very optimistic about her team’s chances in the playoffs. “We have some veterans that have really pulled our younger players along and you know, Katie [Burt] has been great in net for us this year and really stepped up to the plate and I think done a great job for us, so that’s always great to have a goaltender like that and you know, hopefully we can keep the scoring production up and keep going on all cylinders.”

Second-year forward Tereza Vanisova had a strong game for the Black Bears, finishing the game with a plus/minus of +1.

“I think we played well. The whole team played well I think. It was a really good game for us. The biggest problem is probably scoring, like we cannot win with one goal,” Vanisova said.

Maine will be saying goodbye to four outstanding veteran players, as Saturday was senior night and the final regular season home game for the Black Bears.

Stacey is the assistant captain of the team and has played in 129 games in her college career with Maine. During that time she scored 38 goals and had 44 assists for 82 points. Hummel, another Maine forward has played in 96 games, where she’s scored five goals and had nine assists for 14 points.

On defense, Maine is losing Gilmour and Rogers. Gilmour has played in 87 games and posted 16 points with five goals and 11 assists. Rogers had a total of 13 points all coming from assists.

Both the Black Bears and the Eagles ended their regular season play with this game and will move into Hockey East Championship play.