Blaine Byron had a hat trick Friday night to help the University of Maine Mens Hockey team knock off the #5 UMass-Lowell Riverhawks 5-2 at the Alfond Arena in Orono in front of a crowd of 4,304.
Byron had two first period goals as Maine would twice have a one goal lead, before Lowell tied it on goals from Gage Hough and John Edwardh to knot the score at 2-2 after the first period.
Rob Michel scored shorthanded on a three on two breakout with just three seconds remaining in the second period to give Maine back the lead 3-2.
Cam Brown scored at 9:27 of the final period to make it 4-2 before Byron finished off the hat trick with an empty net goal with 1:44 left. Rob McGovern got the win in net making 31 saves on 33 Riverhawk shots. Tyler Wall took the loss making 22 saves on 26 shots. Maine went 0-4 on the powerplay while Lowell went 0-5.
Maine improves to 4-5-2 and 1-2-0 in Hockey East and halts their seven game winless streak (0-5-2). Lowell falls to 6-3-2 and 2-1-0. The two teams will meet again in the series finale of a home and home in Lowell at Tsongas Arena Sunday at 3 p.m.
