Sophomore forward Jake Richard scored twice on Friday night, including the game winner on the powerplay late in overtime as #11 UConn knocked off #4 Maine 3-2 in men’s Hockey East action at Toscano Family Ice Forum in Storrs, Connecticut. The Huskies went 2-0-1 head to head against the Black Bears in the regular season.
The story before the puck dropped on Friday night was the return of Maine graduate captain Lynden Breen. The forward got back ino the lineup 82 days after suffering a fractured fibula on November 30th at RPI and having to undergo surgery.
UConn would strike first in this one. John Spetz would put a wristshot on net from the right point, and Kaden Shahan was standing beside the cage to the right of goaltender Albin Boija and was able to knock it home at 5:47 of the first period. The long drought for Maine on the powerplay would end about halfway through the stanza to even the score. A shot by Frank Djurasevic from the high point would be deflected by both Josh Nadeau and then Nolan Renwick in the low slot. Renwick would be credited with his eighth goal of the season at 10:05, snapping that 0-32 drought with the extra man.
The Huskies jumped back in front at 4:25 of the second period with the first of the night from Richard on assists from Ryan Tattle and Joey Maldowney. The Black Bears had several great opportunities several minutes later to tie it back up, but UConn goalie Callum Tung turned them away. Boija had to be big as well, as he would come up with a pad save on a Richard penalty shot after a hooking call against Breen. The Maine powerplay came through for a second time late in the period to knot things up again. Sully Scholle walked into the low slot and set up a one-timer for Owen Fowler who had his shot deflected by a defender from the right faceoff dot that beat Tung between the legs inside the far post at 18:54, his seventh marker on the year.
Boija was once again huge in a scoreless third period, making 18 stops, including two on a UConn powerplay as the teams went to overtime for a second time in their three matchups. Maine controlled the early part of the extra session in the Huskies zone, including a shot by Breen that went off the post. As the hosts got the puck back and headed up ice, Tattle made a cut to try to get to the front of the net and Taylor Makar hauled him down and got whistled for a holding penalty with 2:05 left. UConn made the Black Bears pay, as a shot by Trey Scott was blocked by Bodie Nobes but came right to the stick of Richard in the bottom of the left circle who deposited it into the net past Boija to end it with 40 seconds remaining.
Boija made 42 saves in the loss for Maine, as the Black Bears had their seven game unbeaten streak come to an end. It is the first time they’ve allowed 40 shots on goal since December 3, 2023 in Orono that was also against UConn. Djurasevic, Nadeau, and Scholle had one assist each as Maine went 2-2 on the powerplay. Breen had three shots on goal and was 5-10 on faceoffs in his return to action. Along with the two goals from Richard, the Huskies also got one assist a piece from Spetz, Viking Gustafsson Nyberg, Tattle, Muldowney, Scott, and Hudson Schandor. Tung stopped 32 shots as UConn went 1-4 on the powerplay with the successful one coming on the game winner in overtime. They’ve now won three games in a row, improving to 17-10-3 and 9-8-3 in Hockey East. The Huskies had given Maine their last defeat prior to Friday 4-2 in Orono on January 17th, before skating to a 2-2 tie the next night. The Black Bears drop to 19-6-5 and 11-4-5 in the conference, and will host Vermont on Senior Weekend at Alfond Arena next Friday and Saturday night February 28th and March 1st at 7 p.m.
