The University of Maine’s nationally ranked hockey team is one of just two teams among the 64 Division I programs that has a winning record when trailing after two periods.
The Black Bears are 6-4-2 when facing a deficit after the game’s first 40 minutes.
“We pride ourselves on being a third-period team,” said junior defenseman Brandon Holt. “We always bring it up in the intermission that we’re a third-period team.”
The only other school is Augustana University, a second-year Division I program based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The Vikings, who were just eliminated in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association quarterfinals, were 6-5 when trailing after two periods.
The Black Bears have also rallied to earn a win and a tie in games in which they were tied after two periods but fell behind in the third period.
UMaine and Quinnipiac were knotted up 4-4 after two periods and Quinnipiac scored first in the third. Then junior defenseman Brandon Holt tied the game up with 28 seconds left and goalie Albin Boija on the bench in favor of the extra attacker.
Senior defenseman and co-captain David Breazeale won it for UMaine in overtime.
UMaine and New Hampshire were scoreless after two periods before UNH scored early in the third. But another extra-attacker goal, this one by senior center and alternate captain Harrison Scott, tied it with 46 seconds remaining.
The game wound up 1-1.
UMaine also received an extra-attacker goal from senior left wing Taylor Makar in a 3-3 tie at Providence.
The third period has been UMaine’s best, outscoring its opponents 43-22. It has a 2-1 edge in overtime.
UMaine head coach Ben Barr said his team has a ton of resilience.
“It’s a testament to the character of the team. There’s no quit in the room,” added Holt, noting that their conditioning program helps separate them from other teams.
“That’s what we do it for,” said Holt.
Senior defenseman and co-captain David Breazeale said it is a testament to their resiliency.
“We’ve obviously faced a lot of situations throughout the year and we’ve been able to scratch and claw our way back,” said Breazeale. “We have a team of guys who want to win really bad so when we’re down, we have a bunch of guys who will go out in big moments and pull us back.”
Breazeale said they take care of their bodies and have benefitted from their conditioning program which is run by sports performance coach Codi Fitzgerald.
Sophomore right wing Charlie Russell said the Black Bears are “really comfortable” going into the third period.
“It’s a credit to the leaders in our room,” Russell said.
