The University of Maine’s sixth-ranked hockey team found itself in uncharted waters during Saturday night’s Hockey East game at Northeastern.
For the first time in five games this season, the Black Bears found themselves trailing by multiple goals as the Huskies built a 2-0 lead on goals by Nick Rheaume in the first period and Cam Lund in the second.
But the Black Bears responded with a power play goal by Brandon Holt in the second period and a third-period goal by Sully Scholle to earn a 2-2 overtime tie at Matthews Arena.
The Black Bears picked up an extra Hockey East point by winning the shootout 2-0, with Scholle clinching the shootout after Charlie Russell had converted his opportunity.
But the game goes into the books as a tie under NCAA guidelines.
UMaine is now 4-0-1 overall and 1-0-1 in Hockey East, while Northeastern is 1-3-1 and 0-1-1, respectively.
UMaine sophomore goalie Albin Boija made five of his 31 saves in the five-minute, three-on-three overtime as the Huskies outshot UMaine 5-1.
Northeastern sophomore Cameron Whitehead finished with 34 stops.
Sophomore left wing Scholle sent the game into overtime when he scored with 10:46 remaining in regulation after freshman center Oskar Komarov stole the puck from a Husky and passed it across to him.
“[Komarov] made a great play and a great pass,” said Scholle, whose goal was his first point of the season. “I was coming down the slot and shot it low glove side.”
Komarov’s assist was his first collegiate point.
Scholle said his confidence level was “pretty high” going into the shootout.
“I felt almost positive that I was going to score. I went five-hole,” said Scholle, who was pleased to get on the scoresheet for the first time this season and contribute to the tie.
“It felt good,” said Scholle.
UMass Lowell transfer Rheaume opened the scoring just 2:04 into the game when he shoveled home a Vinny Borgesi rebound for his first goal of the season. Griffin Erdman also assisted on the goal.
Lund notched his fourth of the season 1:40 into the second period after being set up by Dylan Hryckowian and Jack Williams.
Lund has now scored a goal in three of his last four games against UMaine including the lone goal in Friday night’s 4-1 loss to UMaine.
The Black Bears snapped a 16-game winless drought (0-14-2) and 14-game losing streak at Matthews Arena on Friday night.
Junior defenseman Holt scored with 7:44 remaining in the second period with a shot from the midpoint off a Harrison Scott feed. Russell also earned an assist.
It was his second of the year.
UMaine head coach Ben Barr said his team’s effort was “better than [Friday] night” even though there were still a “lot of miscues. We fumbled pucks and had some mental lapses.”
He said Boija was sharp, especially in the overtime.
“We were not pretty in overtime. He came up big,” said Barr, who added that it was good to see Scholle and Komarov “get on the board.”
UMaine will entertain Merrimack next Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. while Northeastern will have next weekend off before playing a home-and-home series with Providence College on Nov. 8 and 9.
