Freshman center Brock James from Falmouth scored his first career goal as the University of Maine’s hockey team snapped a three-game winless streak with a 2-0 victory over UMass Lowell on Friday night.
Junior right wing Charlie Russell scored the other goal as UMaine improved to 13-9-2 overall and 7-7 in Hockey East while the River Hawks fell to 9-15 and 5-9, respectively. Junior goalie Albin Boija made 25 saves for the Black Bears.
UMaine extended its unbeaten streak over the River Hawks to nine games (8-0-1).
The teams will conclude their two-game series at 6pm Saturday.
Boija’s shutout was his fourth of the season and 10th of his career.
The Black Bears killed six UMass Lowell power plays including four in the third period.
James, playing in his sixth career game, produced what proved to be the game-winner at the 7:40 mark of the first period off an assist from fellow freshman Nick Peluso.
Peluso poked the puck free at the defensive blue line and raced down the ice with two River Hawks in pursuit.
The right wing protected the puck from one River Hawk and sliced across the top of the crease to his backhand side only to have the puck roll off his stick and onto the pad of goalie Austin Elliott.
But Peluso pursued the puck along the extended goal line to Elliott’s right and slid a pass across to James, who chipped it into the half-empty net.
“(Peluso) is a really good player. He’s speedy and he has great vision,” said James. “Once I saw him follow up that rebound, I figured I would go to the net and he’d find me. I have nothing but good things to say about him. I love the way he plays.
“We’re kind of connected together so that was nice to see us get rewarded on that play,” James added.
James said it was nice to get the “monkey off his back” by registering his first goal and point for the Black Bears during what he said has been an interesting season.
“And it was finally good to see some hard work get rewarded and help the team find success,” James said.
He also said it is “always special” to score when you are playing for your home state university. The only thing he would have changed would have been to score in front of the home fans at Alfond Arena.
“I’m just glad to represent the state that I’m from,” James said. “There are so many people behind the scenes that have helped me get here and play here and it’s a goal shared by so many people in the state which made it so special.”
The assist for Peluso was his second in five games.
Russell made it 2-0 midway through the second period when he swept a backhander from the middle of the slot past Elliott off a Frank Djurasevic rebound. Sully Scholle also earned an assist. It was Russell’s sixth goal of the campaign.
UMaine had a chance to add to its lead early in the third period on the final 4:50 of a five-minute power play but failed to cash in and then had to kill four River Hawk power plays to earn the win.
It was UMaine’s only power play in the game.
Freshman Elliott finished with 27 saves for UMass Lowell.
UMaine coach Ben Barr said it is “good to win a game” and that the penalty-killing was a major key in the win.
“They went 0-for-6 and that was huge. Albin played well,” said Barr, who also felt James and Peluso turned in a good night’s work.
“They gave us great energy. That was a bright spot,” Barr said.
He called their goal a “big-time play.”
James and Peluso are on an all-freshman line with Will Gerrior.
