ORONO – Josh Nadeau and Lynden Breen were the University of Maine hockey team’s second and third leading scorers last season but had combined for just two assists entering Friday night’s Hockey East game against visiting Merrimack College.
Each scored their first goals of the season and Harrison Scott, Thomas Freel and Brandon Holt also scored as the Black Bears posted a 5-0 victory at Alfond Arena.
UMaine, ranked sixth in one national poll and seventh in another, improved to 5-0-1 overall and 2-0-1 in Hockey East, while Merrimack fell to 1-4-1 and 0-2-1.
Albin Boija stopped 15 shots in earning the shutout for the Black Bears.
The teams will play again Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Goals early and late in the first period staked the Black Bears to a 2-0 lead.
Nadeau, an 18-goal scorer last season, notched his first of the season just 1:10 into the game and Scott expanded the lead with 5:23 remaining.
Nadeau took a pass from Holt along the right wing side and appeared ready to shoot the puck.
Instead, he darted cleverly across the slot and slid a low backhander inside the far post.
The Black Bears had the vast majority of possession and Scott made it 2-0 off a nifty play by Freel.
Freel took a pass from Jack Dalton in the right wing circle, stopped to create a shooting angle and shot the puck across to the far post where Scott directed it into the net.
In the second period Breen tripped a Holt shot past Max Lundgren and Freel shoveled home a Charlie Russell rebound.
Russell scored a third period goal from the edge of the crease off a Taylor Makar pass.
