ORONO – The University of Maine’s sixth-ranked hockey team, missing four forwards due to injury and suspension, received a pair of goals from senior left wing Taylor Makar and killed three penalties in the third period to earn a 3-1 Hockey East victory over Northeastern at Alfond Arena Friday night.
UMaine improved to 16-5-3 overall and 8-3-3 in Hockey East while Northeastern fell to 9-12-3 and 4-9-3.
UMaine will entertain UMass at 4 p.m. Sunday while NU will take on Boston College in the Beanpot Tournament semifinals at 8 p.m. Monday.
Junior center Owen Fowler’s shorthanded goal opened the scoring for the Black Bears early in the second period.
Sophomore center Eli Sebastian equalized for the Huskies 3:48 later but Makar scored what proved to be the game-winner with 29 seconds left in the middle period when Frank Djurasevic’s wrist shot from the midpoint deflected off him past NU goalie Cameron Whitehead.
“It was an unreal forecheck by (Nolan Renwick). He helped scoop up the puck and then there was a great move by Frank from the blue line. He got the shot through and it ended up bouncing off my pants,” said Makar.
Makar sewed up the win with an empty-net goal with 55 seconds left.
It was his ninth goal of the season.
UMaine goalie Albin Boija finished with 20 saves while Whitehead wound up with 29.
Fowler supplied UMaine with a 1-0 lead 1:19 into the second period.
The puck came to Josh Nadeau at the boards on the right wing side and he never hesitated, firing the puck toward the net and it glanced off Fowler’s stick past Whitehead
It was Fowler’s sixth goal of the season.
Sebastian tied it with his first career goal in his 53rd game as he took a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle that sailed over Boija’s glove.
Scoring chances were few and far between in a nondescript first period.
UMaine outshot Northeastern 10-8 but neither team was able to sustain an extensive forecheck.
Northeastern had the best chance of the period when UMaine defenseman Brandon Holt gambled to keep the puck in the offensive zone only to have the Huskies poke it around him which created a 2-on-0 break-in.
Cristophe Tellier carried the puck down the left wing side and slid it across to Nick Rheaume at the far post but the pass handcuffed Rheaume and he never got off a shot.
“We got through it. The guys battled hard that third period,” said UMaine coach Ben Barr. “Killing three penalties in a row is gusty. Our penalty kill was outstanding in the third. I was really proud of the guys.”
Makar said since they didn’t play last weekend, they had plenty of time to scout Northeastern’s power play and assistant coach Alfie Michaud did an excellent job preparing them for it.
NU entered the game with one the worst power plays in Division I operating at just 11.3 percent efficiency.
NU managed just two shots on goal during those third-period power plays.
“The power play killed us. You have to score on the power play. Obviously that was a huge issue for us tonight,” said NU coach Jerry Keefe. “We beat ourselves tonight.”
He said with the score 1-1 in the final minute of the second period, “you expect guys to go out there and do a job and go into the third 1-1 on the road and feel good about it. Instead, we give up a goal in the last minute. Self-inflicted wounds.
“Credit to Maine. They played a smart game and they didn’t beat themselves.” added Keefe.
Fowler said one of the differences in the game as compared to recent games was the fact “we didn’t sit back. We were always on our toes. We pushed the pace.”
