Eduards Tralmaks scored what proved to be the game winner on the powerplay with 2:28 to play in the third period Saturday night, to lead the Maine Black Bears past the UNH Wildcats 3-2 in game two of an opening round Hockey East playoff series at Alfond Arena. With the win Maine moves onto the Hockey East quarterfinals with the two game sweep over UNH.
Liam Blackburn as he did Friday night scored the opening goal in the first period to give UNH a 1-0 lead. Mitch Fossier tied the game just over three minutes into the second period for Maine to make it 1-1. Nolan Vesey gave the Black Bears the lead they wouldn’t relinquish at the 18:04 mark of the second to make it 2-1.
After Tralmaks made it 3-1, UNH got one back with an extra attacker and the goalie pulled as Benton Maass scored at 19:07 cutting the deficit to a goal. UNH once again pulled their netminder in the closing seconds, but couldn’t come up with the equalizer as their season ends at 10-20-6 overall.
Danny Tirone made 40 saves in the loss for the Wildcats, while Jeremy Swayman made 27 in the win for the Black Bears. UNH was 0-3 on the powerplay, while Maine was 1-4 getting the key goal from Tralmaks with the extra man.
Maine (18-14-4) will now head to Providence to battle the Friars in a best of three quarterfinal series next weekend. Game one and two is Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. The Black Bears are 0-15-1 against PC in the last 16 head to head matchups.
