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University of Maine junior center and captain Tanner House scored 5:10 into overtime Sunday night to send the Black Bears to the Hockey East Tournament Semifinals with a 3-2 win in the decisive third game of their quarterfinal series against the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
UMaine will oppose defending National Champions Boston University Friday at 8 p.m. at the TD Garden in Boston. Vermont will face Boston College in a 5 p.m. semifinal.
House drove to the left post while sophomore left wing Brian Flynn skated with the puck along the left-wing boards and slid him a pass after drawing Lowell senior goaltender Carter Hutton toward the middle of the goal.
“I can’t describe that feeling,” House said of his 16th goal of the season. “Flynn made a great pass. I was fortunate to bang it in off the post.”
UMaine is returning to the semifinals for the first time since the 2005-06 season, when they lost to Boston College in that game, but followed the tournament with a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four.
BU took the season series against UMaine 2-1, winning both games at Agganis Arena. However, the Black Bears are 4-0 all-time in the semifinals against BU, with the last meeting coming in 2004. UMaine has won five Hockey East Championships. BU has won seven.
Lowell lost to BU in the championship game last year and had 10 seniors dressed for last weekend’s games.
“They [UMaine] are to be congratulated,” Lowell coach Blaise MacDonald said. “They really bounced back from some adversity and played well.”
UMaine sophomore defenseman Will O’Neill’s second goal of Sunday’s game with 4:48 remaining in the third period sent the game to into the extra 20-minute session. O’Neill sent a whistling one-timer past Hutton from the right point, with help from a defender’s stick in front. The goal came while the teams were skating four-on-four.
“I just tried to get as much on it as I could,” O’Neill said.
O’Neill was named Hockey East Player of the Week on Monday.
O’Neill’s first goal tied the game at 1-1 late in the second period. His late-game heroics answered Lowell junior center Scott Campbell’s power play goal 7:42 into the third. Campbell stood his ground at the top of the crease and one-timed a pass from behind the net by sophomore center David Vallorani to beat UMaine senior goaltender Dave Wilson.
“It’s a disappointing way to end the season, having led on two different occasions in the game,” MacDonald said.
Hutton and Wilson were both on top of their game for the third straight night. UMaine held a 32-27 edge in shots-on-goal at the end of regulation and scored on its fourth shot in overtime. Wilson stopped 26 shots, while Hutton took the loss in a 33-save effort.
“I was thoroughly impressed with Hutton and their entire team,” said UMaine coach Tim Whitehead.
“Wilson elevated his game,” O’Neill said. “He played unbelievable.”
UMaine battled through the adversity of having to scratch injured junior defenseman and assistant captain Jeff Dimmen from the lineup before the game. Dimmen hurt his leg on a hit along the boards during Saturday’s game. Freshman Matt Mangene, who was recruited as a defenseman but played center for the entire season, replaced Dimmen on the blue line.
“I thought [Mangene] was arguably our best defenseman,” Whitehead said.
UMaine also played without suspended sophomore starting goaltender Scott Darling, injured junior defenseman Mike Banwell and injured senior center Brett Carriere.
“Everyone just stepped up in their own way and we battled through for those guys,” House said.
In Saturday’s game, Wilson stopped all 23 Lowell shots for his first career playoff win and shutout, and sophomore left wing Spencer Abbott’s goal on the first shift of the game was enough for the 2-0 win.
Abbott scored 23 seconds into the game, when a flurry of shots resulted in a rebound out to him in the slot where he fired the puck through Hutton’s five-hole.
Abbott also scored the game-winner in the second game of last year’s quarterfinal series against Boston University to force a third game.
House scored on the power play 12:45 into the second period to give the Black Bears some insurance.
Friday’s series-opening game saw a 1-1 tie hold until the third period, when Lowell senior center and captain Ben Holmstrom scored 6:55 in. The River Hawks won 2-1.
UMaine freshman defenseman Mark Nemec’s first career goal gave the Black Bears a 1-0 lead 5:00 into the first period. Nemec watched a Lowell power play from the penalty box, but exited just as freshman right wing Joey Diamond started on a shorthanded breakout. Nemec took Diamond’s pass in the high slot and beat Hutton with a wrist shot.
Friday’s win was the first postseason triumph for Lowell against UMaine after 12 previous losses.
Related Posts:- Kariya’s OT goal propels men’s hockey to 2-1 win over Wildcats (November 25, 2002)
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- PKs doom UMaine in ’09 conference semifinals (November 2, 2009)
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