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The University of Maine men’s hockey team negated a 2-0 deficit for the second straight night and stormed past the Hockey East-leading University of New Hampshire Wildcats 6-3 in the rubber match of the season series Saturday at Alfond Arena. UMaine swept the weekend set after losing an October game in New Hampshire.
UMaine freshman left wing Joey Diamond’s power play goal 4:36 into the third period was the eventual game-winner. He snuck in from the corner in front of UNH goaltender Brian Foster and tipped in a wrister from the right point by junior defenseman Jeff Dimmen.
“I knew as long as I kept getting chances, at least one of them was going to go in,” Diamond said. “I got that chance.”
UMaine improved to 14-9-3 and 11-6-2 in Hockey East play. They trail UNH by three points in the conference standings. The Wildcats fell to 13-10-4 (12-5-3 HE) and have lost three of their last four games.
“We got beat,” said UNH coach Dick Umile. “I’m not going to take anything away from them. They found a way to win the game. We went ahead twice and couldn’t hold onto it.”
UNH brought the game back within one goal 9:19 into the third period after surrendering four consecutive UMaine goals. Junior center Phil DeSimone beat UMaine goalie Scott Darling with a backhander in the slot.
UMaine sophomore left wing Brian Flynn iced the game at 5-3 with his second goal of the game with 1:48 left. He stuffed his ninth goal of the season through Foster’s five-hole on a breakaway. Junior center Tanner House added an empty net goal in the final minute.
“We’ve grown a ton since the beginning of the season,” Flynn said. “To hold them to five goals this weekend, I think is a big accomplishment.”
Darling made 27 saves to improve to 14-3-3. Foster made 34 saves, while falling to 12-10-4.
“The guys played great in front of me tonight,” Darling said. “I didn’t have my best game, but we got the win.”
In both weekend games, UNH let UMaine back in the game with a second period power-play goal. UMaine scored two goals within a minute to even the game at 2-2.
“We didn’t come out as well as we would have liked tonight,” Flynn said. “We kind of willed this one out.”
UMaine sophomore center Theo Andersson scored the go-ahead goal with 1:31 remaining in the second period when he whacked in a centering pass from the corner by senior right wing Kevin Swallow at the top of the crease. It was Andersson’s third goal of the season.
“The puck came out, and I just kind of ripped it in,” Andersson said. “I got lucky I guess.”
Flynn banked in a power play goal off Foster’s back to put UMaine on the scoreboard 6:46 into the second period. Junior center Robby Dee followed with his 10th goal of the season and second of the weekend 57 seconds later, when he finished a rebound at the doorstep.
UMaine went 2-for-4 on the power play while shutting out UNH on four chances. The Wildcats went 0-for-7 with the extra skater on the weekend.
UNH struck on a breakout 8:27 into the first period to open the scoring. Freshman right wing John Henrion carried the puck into the UMaine zone and flicked a wrister over Darling’s glove.
Senior center Peter Leblanc gave UNH a 2-0 lead 1:30 before the end of the first period when he beat Darling with a snap shot in the slot. Just seconds after the Wildcats killed off UMaine’s second power play of the period, LeBlanc snuck behind the defense and took a centering pass from sophomore right wing Stevie Moses.
UMaine had a scare when top scorer Gustav Nyquist left the ice late in the second period favoring his leg. He returned at the start of the third.
In Friday’s 3-2 win, Dee scored the game-winning goal 44 seconds into the third period on a snap-shot from the right point off a David deKastrozza faceoff win. Dee made his return to the lineup after missing four games and a pair of exhibitions with a foot injury.
UMaine scored three unanswered goals after UNH’s Mike Sislo scored shorthanded in the first period and DeSimone added one at even-strength early in the second. Dimmen and House also scored for the Black Bears.
Darling made 28 saves in the win, while Foster stopped 31 shots.
