Maine forward Will Merchant looks to track down a loose puck on the end boards during the third period Friday night. He is watched closely by UNH forward Marcus Vela (picture by Chris Lessner)
Orono- Danny Tirone, sophomore goalie for the New Hampshire Wildcats, came into Friday nights game against the UMaine Black Bears with a goals against average of over 4 a game. Friday night he saved his best performance for the Black Bears. Tirone ended with 50 saves to help the Wildcats to an overtime 3-3 tie at a sold out Alfond Arena.
In front of a ruckus crowd of 5,125 fans, the first sellout since January 25, 2014 also against UNH, it would be the Wildcats who quieted the Black Bears faithful for the first period and a half. Almost 10 minutes in, the Wildcats powerplay got them on the board. After a point shot went wide of the net, Tyler Kelleher tracked the puck down and centered to a wide open Andrew Poturalski, to the right of Maine goalie Matt Morris. Poturalskis quick wrist shot was stopped by Morris but kicked right to the stick of Dan Correale who tucked it in far post to make it 1-0 UNH. Maine had many chances in the opening period including three or four grade A chances in just one wild flurry in front of Tirone that were turned away in helping to outshoot the Wildcats 19-10.
UNH would make it 2 for 2 on the powerplay about 9 minutes into the second as this time Poturalski would take a Kelleher pass on the doorstep and one time it past Morris on a tape to tape, to make it 2-0 ‘Cats.
But the Bears would answer back and take the lead over the next four and half minutes. Cedric Lacroix would start that by screening Tirone on a Mark Hamilton shot and deflecting it into the net to cut the UNH lead to 2-1. Will Merchant tied it after a Wildcat defenseman fell down. Merchant walked into the shot and beat Tirone glove side. It was originally ruled the shot hit the post but on the next stoppage of play after an offical review, it was ruled in fact the puck did hit the back of the net and bounced back out. Maine took their first lead after an Andrew Tegeler shot bounced over to Brian Morgan in the high slot, who calmly gathered getting Tirone out of position with a quick move, and then swept it into the half empty net to make it 3-2 Bears.
New Hampshire got the equalizer with just 1:40 left in the second as Kyle Smith drove to the net hard and scooped up a rebound of a Shane Eiserman shot and buried it past Morris to make it 3-3.
Both teams had great chances in the third period including a backhand by Maines Steven Swavely late in the game that was turned away by the right pad of Tirone. Morris had made a save earlier in the period in the middle of the slot on a Kelleher one timer who was wide open in front of the Bears goaltender. Neither team was able to muster any real scoring chances in the five minute overtime as both teams settled for their fourth tie on the year.
Morris was solid again in goal for Maine, finishing with 33 saves. UNH was 2 for 2 on the powerplay on 3 shots, and have converted on 10 of their last 27 with the extra man. Total shots on goal were 53-36 Maine and was the fourth straight game the Black Bears have put 40 or more shots on goal. Maine was 0 for 1 on the powerplay on the night.
Maine is now 4-8-4 and 2-4-1 in Hockey East while UNH is now 4-6-4 and 1-1-4 in league play. The two teams will switch sites and head south for a matchup in Durham, NH at the Whittemore Center Saturday night at 7 p.m.
