LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS- Senior forward Harrison Scott scored a game winning third period goal, and then would add an empty netter late on Friday night in leading the #7 Maine Black Bears to a 3-1 Hockey East men’s road victory over #8 UMass-Lowell at the Tsongas Center. The win snaps a seven game winless streak for Maine in Lowell (0-5-2), dating back to 2017.
Both teams had a few chances in the first period, with maybe the best opportunity coming from Connor Eddy for UMass-Lowell as he had a partial breakaway only to be stopped by Maine netminder Albin Boija. The Black Bears had two great A chances on a Nolan Renwick shot from in tight in the low slot but no one could get to the rebound, and a Taylor Makar look shorthanded that was kicked out by Riverhawks goalie Henry Welsch as the game was scoreless after 20 minutes.
UMass-Lowell broke the deadlock early in the second period. After a Maine turnover at the attacking blue line, Lee Parks and Scout Truman came the other way on a 2 on 1. Parks came across the Black Bears blue line and feathered it to Truman in the right circle, and Truman then returned it to Parks for a one-timer from the bottom of the left circle that found the back of the net at 1:36 for a 1-0 lead. The Riverhawks seemed to hem in Maine for a good portion of the first 30 minutes of play and doubled up the shots on goal 16-8. The guests came to life though, and it was the captain David Breazeale that found the equalizer at 14:31. After the puck was pushed ahead and into the UML zone with the help of Brandon Chabrier and Thomas Freel, the defenseman stepped into a wristshot from the top of the left circle that squeezed past Welsch five-hole to make it 1-1. It was a career-high third goal of the season for Breazeale, who had also provided a third period game winner in the 2-1 victory over Denver last Saturday at Alfond Arena.
Scott started the game winning play in the third period for Maine with a defensive effort in his own zone, stripping the puck away and leading his teammates up the ice. Ross Mitton would lead Freel with a pass up the left wing and into the UMass-Lowell zone. Freel went hard to the net and into the bottom of the left circle, and at the last moment passed it over to Scott who had re-joined the play and was standing on the edge of the crease to the left of Welsch. Scott took the pass and was able to tuck it into the cage back door at 11:18 for a 2-1 lead.
He would cap off the victory with an empty net goal from just outside the Riverhawks blue line with 1:53 left. Scott is now second in the country in goals scored with 15 of them in 20 games played, just behind sophomore forward Quinn Finley from Wisconsin (16 goals in 22 games).
Along with the two goals from Scott and one from Breazeale, Maine got two assists from Freel and one each from Chabier, Mitton, and Frank Djurasevic. Boija made 26 saves. The Black Bears did not have a powerplay opportunity, but did hold UMass-Lowell to 0-2 on their extra man chances. Welsch made 24 stops in the loss for the Riverhawks, with Truman picking up an assist on the lone goal by Parks. UML falls to 12-5-2 and 5-4-1 in Hockey East. Maine (14-4-2, 6-2-2) goes for the weekend sweep at the Tsongas Center at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday evening.
ESPN+ highlight videos courtesy of Maine Ice Hockey on X/Scott empty net goal and photos by Chris Lessner/Postgame video interview courtesy of Dmitri Chambers from ‘Til The Rafters Ring
