ORONO, Maine- The last time a University of Maine hockey team lost a game when scoring at least five goals was way back on March 20, 2010, a 7-6 loss to Boston College in the Hockey East title game. Over seven years later, it happened again. The visiting Miami of Ohio Redhawks scored a wild 7-5 non-conference win Friday night over Maine at Alfond Arena before 3,549 fans.
In an opening period dominated by the Redhawks, Karch Bachman scored a powerplay goal and Gordie Green scored nine seconds later to give the visitors a 2-0 lead after one. The Redhawks poured 19 shots on Maine starting goaltender Rob McGovern in the opening 20 minutes.
Grant Hutton made it 3-0 with another powerplay marker 1:54 into the middle period. Maine finally got on the board when Veli Tiuraniemi scored his first collegiate goal on a wrist shot from the point to make it 3-1. Mitchell Fossier made it 3-2, cleaning up a rebound in front of Miami goalie Ryan Larkin. After Hutton made it 4-2 with yet another powerplay goal, Fossier got his second of the night to once again make it a one goal game at 4-3. The Redhawks though got a 4 on 4 goal from Kiefer Sherwood, and a powerplay goal from Louie Belpedio in the last 2:16 to regain control and make it 6-3. Maine coach Red Gendron said, “We didn’t skate the first two periods. We took penalties that were unnecessary and that caused us a problem. We didn’t manage the puck well and that also caused us problems”.
Miami (1-2), looked as though they had put the game out of reach when Green scored eight seconds into the final period to make it 7-3, and end the night in net for McGovern. Eduards Tralmarks scored his first collegiate goal on the powerplay for the Bears 2:41 later to make it 7-4. When Rob Michel ripped a slapper through a screen to cut it to 7-5, there was still almost 10 minutes remaining to play. The Black Bears however couldn’t get any closer. “We played well in the third period but that’s a consolation prize and we don’t play for that”, added Gendron. Maine drops to 1-2 in the loss. Green was the top performer for the Redhawks with two goals and three assists. Josh Melnick added three assists, and Hutton had the pair of goals. Larkin made 20 saves on 25 shots. McGovern made 29 saves on 36 shots, before being replaced by freshman Jeremy Swayman in the third period. Swayman made two saves and didn’t allow a goal. Fossier led the Bears with a pair of goals, Michel had a goal and an assist, and freshman Tiuraniemi (1 goal, 1 assist) and Canon Pieper (2 assists) both had two point nights.
Speaking of the Maine team, Miami coach Enrico Blasi said, “They’ve gotten better. They did a lot of good things. It was a really exciting college hockey game.” Miami was 4-5 on powerplay, while Maine was just 1-6 on the evening. The two teams will finish off the two game series Saturday night at 7 p.m.
