Maine Hockey Journal

Maine has to settle for a tie against Northeastern

Overcoming a two-goal deficit, the University of Maine men’s ice hockey team grabbed a one goal lead before having to settle for a 3-3 tie against Northeastern University in front of 2,182 at Matthews Arena on Saturday night.

The tie gives both teams a point toward their Hockey East standings, which will be important at the end of the season when both will be competing for the home ice in the HE tournament.

The first period was only filled with penalties and little offensive pressure from either team. Maine shot the puck nine times with Chris Rawlings Huskies goaltender saving them all.

At the beginning of the period Robby Dee’s late first period penalty came back to hurt the team as the Huskies applied heavy pressure on Maine goalie Shawn Sirman, crashing the net where Wade McCloud put the puck on net. Anthony Bittetto found a loose puck and tapped it by Sirman to get the first goal of the game on the power play.

With the early goal in the period Northeastern found some momentum when only a minute later they found their second goal of the game. Rob Dongara and Mike McLaughlin skate down the Maine zone on a 2-1 offensive rush. Dongara past to McLaughlin who had more than enough time and room to take the perfect slap shot, which hit the back of the net to beat Sirman for the 2-0 lead.

The Black Bears didn’t find their offense till late in the period when they went on a delayed penalty. At the 16 minute mark in the period, Sirman left the ice and allowed Gustav Nyquist to come off the bench. Nyquist found and fired the loss puck on net where it meets Brian Flynn’s stick and then the back of the net, spring the Black Bears into comeback mode.

The Black Bears struck again while their sticks were hot. On the power play Maine’s Tanner House taps the puck past Rawlings, knotting the game up at 2-2 late in the second.

The Black Bears would continue into the third with their third unanswered goal.

The Huskies defender placed a big hit on Spencer Abbott getting the crowd reignited, but in the process leaving tanner House wide open for great scoring chance. House buried the puck past the goaltender propelling the Black Bears into a 3-2 lead.

The third period was ticking away when the Huskies came back to tie the game at three all.

The Huskies’ Steve Silva was able to throw the puck on net, before it met Sirman the puck was deflected down by Wade McCloud which hit the goalie’s skate then bounced to the back of the net. The goal tied the game for the Huskies and gave McCloud his 11th goal of the season.

The late goal sent the game into overtime and both teams back to even.

In overtime, the Black Bears kept up the offensive pressure, even getting a power play chance at the end of the period. Even with the man advantage Maine wasn’t able to get the game winning goal. The game ended in 3-3 tie giving Maine their fifth of the season.

The Black Bears went 1-for-7 on the penalty kill, and a solid 2-for-5 on the power play for the night.

Gustav Nyquist was able to extend his point’s streak to nine games when he picked up the assist on the Brian Flynn goal late in the second.

Shawn Sirman, saved 19 shots, but allowed three to get by him. Sirman is now 3-0-3 on the season still remaining unbeaten.

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