Jayden Struble scored with 9:13 left in the third period Saturday night, as the #20 Northeastern Huskies rallied past the Maine Black Bears 3-2 at Matthews Arena in Boston in men’s Hockey East action. Northeastern completed the two game weekend sweep.
Maine built a 2-0 lead when Ben Poisson scored at 12:03 of the first period on assists by Simon Butala and Keenan Suthers, and Adam Dawe tallied at 6:48 of the second on helpers by Jack Quinlivan and Adrien Bisson. Justin Hryckowian started the comeback for NU with a goal at 17:50 to cut the deficit in half headed to the third period. Gunnarwolfe Fontaine tied it at 4:59 of the third for the Huskies. That came 57 seconds after a failed Black Bears powerplay. The Maine powerplay had another chance to try to take the lead back with 12:48 left, but came up empty. Struble got the game winner on an assist from Ty Jackson. The guests pulled starting goalie Victor Ostman with just over two minutes to go, and had some good looks on Huskies netminder Devon Levi but couldn’t find the equalizer and remain winless so far on the season.
Ostman made 24 saves in his first action since the opening weekend at Nebraska-Omaha. Maine drops to 0-5-1, 0-2-0 in Hockey East. Jeremie Bucheler added an assist for Northeastern, and Jackson had two. Levi made 19 saves, as the Huskies improve to 5-3-0, 2-2-0 in HE. The Bears were 0-3 on the powerplay (1-22 on season), while the Huskies went 0-4. Maine returns home next Friday and Saturday night when they welcome in the University of Connecticut for a two game Hockey East series at Alfond Arena.
