Maine men’s hockey sweeps RPI

Published by %s
October 13, 2023

A night after his brother Bradly did the same, Josh Nadeau scored his first two collegiate goals and four other Maine players had multiple point nights on Saturday in a 6-3 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), as the Black Bears swept away the season opening two game non-conference men’s hockey series at Alfond Arena in Orono.

Josh Nadeau would register that first college goal to give Maine the lead that they wouldn’t relinquish at 6:15 of the first period on the powerplay, knocking home a loose puck in the RPI crease. Lynden Breen and Thomas Freel picked up assists. Harrison Scott tallied his first marker of the early season just over four minutes later. Scott won a battle along the boards on the right wing, and skated into the right faceoff circle releasing a quick shot that surprised Engineers goalie Carson Cherepak over the shoulder gloveside. Jake Gagnon would slice into the deficit for the guests, winning a race for a loose puck and beating Victor Ostman shorthanded at 15:48.

Josh Nadeau got his second of the night on a one-timer off a feed from Breen at 6:58 of the second period on the powerplay, and Grayson Arnott delivered the eventual game winner with 19 seconds left in the middle stanza. Bradly Nadeau started it on the left wing, sending a pass to Scott for a hard one-timer that was kicked out by Cherepak but Arnott was there to tap in the rebound. After Lucas Matta got RPI back on the board 14 seconds into the third, Donovan Villeneuve-Houle pushed it back to a three goal lead for Maine at 10:15 on a fluke play the ended up right on his stick in front of the net after a blocked centering pass. Gagnon got his second of the night with 2:02 left for the Engineers, but Ben Poisson sealed the win and the sweep with an empty netter for the Black Bears with one minute to go.

Ostman made 16 saves in net for Maine, who starts the season 2-0 for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign. Along with the two goals by Josh Nadeau- Scott, Villeneuve-Houle, and Poisson all had one goal and one assist. Freel had three assists. A night after putting 57 shots on goal, they put 50 more on the board in the victory. Gagnon was the only multiple point scorer in the loss for RPI with his two goals, while Cherepak made 45 stops. The Black Bears went 2-8 on the powerplay, and the Engineers would go 0-5. Maine now has a week off before returning to action on the road on Friday and Saturday, October 27 and 28th when they visit defending national champion Quinnipiac.

Recap by Chris Lessner/Videos courtesy of Maine Men’s Hockey on Twitter 

 

 

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