The second-ranked Boston College Eagles scored three goals over the final 9:35 to rally for a 3-2 Hockey East victory over the fifth-ranked University of Maine at Conte Forum on Friday night.
BC improved to 6-1 after beating UMaine for the first time in their last eight meetings. UMaine was 5-0-2 in the previous seven games.
UMaine fell to 6-1-1.
The teams will conclude their series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
It was BC’s first conference game while UMaine is now 3-1-1.
Ryan Leonard scored the game-winner with 1:33 remaining when he converted off a two-on-one break with James Hagens as he snapped the puck past UMaine goalie Albin Boija off Hagens’ perfect feed.
Josh Nadeau’s second-period goal and a third-period goal by Oskar Komarov staked UMaine to a 2-0 lead but Andre Gasseau began the BC comeback with a power-play one-timer off a Ryan Leonard feed with 9:35 left.
Mike Posma tied it with 3:01 remaining when he had his initial shot blocked but got the puck back and roofed a close-range wrister over Boija’s glove.
Nadeau broke a scoreless tie with 3:10 left in the first period.
Nolan Renwick won a faceoff to the right of Fowler and Nadeau pounced on the puck and released a quick snap shot that sailed over Fowler’s left shoulder into the far corner.
It was his second goal of the season.
Boija preserved the lead with two critical saves later in the period.
Posma poked the puck past UMaine defenseman Jack Dalton high in the offensive zone and broke in alone down the middle of the slot but Boija held his ground and made the save.
Shortly afterward, UMaine defenseman Brandon Chabrier fell down and Connor Joyce gathered in the puck and slid it across to a wide open Brady Berard between the faceoff circles.
Berard took a quick shot that Boija was able to get his glove on.
Freshman Komarov made it 2-0 seven minutes into the third period when his wraparound shot glanced into the net off Hagen’s skate.
Jacob Fowler finished with 30 saves for BC while Boija made 27 stops.
