Patrick Shea scored 2:12 into overtime Saturday night as the Maine Black Bears finished off a two game sweep of the University of New Hampshire Wildcats in men’s Hockey East play with a 2-1 win at Alfond Arena in Orono before an energetic 5,012 fans.
Both teams played a pretty even opening period with neither getting on the scoreboard. Maine goalie Jeremy Swayman did make two sprawling saves across his crease to keep it scoreless, once during a UNH powerplay and then shortly after the powerplay ended. The Bears outshot the Wildcats 11-10 in the opening 20 minutes but went 0-2 on the powerplay. UNH was the first to break the scoring column when Angus Crookshank deflected a Charlie Kelleher shot on the powerplay past Swayman at 9:11 of the second to make it 1-0. Maine did carry most of the play with a pair of powerplays as well in the second but couldn’t solve UNH goalie Mike Robinson who kept it a one goal lead in favor of the Wildcats after 40 minutes. The Bears once again outshot their opponents 13-11 in the middle period.
Maine (7-3-2, 4-2-2 Hockey East) again had the better chances early in the third period but Robinson was equally up to the test. Swayman did stop a partial breakaway with a pad save on Kelleher about four minutes into the period. The Black Bears went to their fifth powerplay of the night with 9:36 to play but still couldn’t find the equalizer. The hosts would have another opportunity with 2:37 left when the Wildcats Anthony Wyse was called for a penalty for roughing contact to the head. 50 seconds into the powerplay Maine pulled Swayman for a 6 on 4 advantage. The Black Bears kept the puck in the zone upping the pressure and finally came through with just 50.9 seconds left when Tim Doherty one timed a feed from Adam Dawe past Robinson from just inside the right faceoff circle sending the Alfond into a frenzy and sending the game into overtime. Mitchell Fossier contributed to the game winner in the extra session for his 100th career point. Fossier dumped the puck into the offensive zone to the goal line in the left corner. Ryan Smith picked up the loose puck and saw a wide open Shea in front of Robinson. Smith backhanded a perfect pass to Shea who fired it into the top left corner of the net stickside on Robinson to end it.
Swayman made 32 saves in net in the Black Bears win, who currently move into third place in the Hockey East standings. Robinson made 34 stops in the loss for UNH, who drops to 5-4-1 and 3-3-0 in Hockey East. Maine went 1-6 on the powerplay, while UNH went 1-2. The Black Bears who improve to 5-0-1 at home now hit the road for their next seven contests beginning with a two game series at Northeastern next Friday and Saturday.
Maine forward Ben Poisson and UNH forward Joe Sacco faceoff at center ice to start the first period of the teams Hockey East matchup at Alfond Arena on Saturday, November 16, 2019. The Black Bears won 2-1 in overtime. Photo by Chris Lessner
