Maine Hockey Journal
Home / UMaine / Swavely rallies UMaine past Michigan State

Swavely rallies UMaine past Michigan State

Michigan State vs University of Maine in game two of the 19th Annual NCAA Ice Breaker Tournament. Maine is hosting the 19th Annual NCAA Ice Breaker Tournament at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine on 10/9/2015. (Photo by Michael Mcsweeney)

Michigan State vs University of Maine in game two of the 19th Annual NCAA Ice Breaker Tournament. Maine is hosting the 19th Annual NCAA Ice Breaker Tournament at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine on 10/9/2015. (Photo by Michael Mcsweeney)

PORTLAND – The University of Maine men’s ice hockey team had plenty of practice killing penalties during the second game of Friday night’s Ice Breaker Tournament against Michigan State University.

The Black Bears skated down a player – or two – 11 times but was able to secure a 3-3 tie against the Spartans before 5,007 at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.

“We got more practice on the five-on-three in one game than we did all of last season,” said Maine head coach Dennis “Red” Gendron. “We played a pretty good game, pretty good team, five-on-five tonight. We actually were pretty good on the penalty kill, but when you have to kill 11(penalties), it’s not ideal.”

The game will be recorded as a tie for NCAA record keeping, but the tournament requires a winner, so a three-man shootout took place after overtime failed to determine a winner.

Steven Swavely scored the lone goal to give Maine a 1-0 victory in the shootout.

“It feels like a win, but it’s a tie,” said Swavely.

With Maine leading, 3-2, Blaine Byron was whistled for hooking at 15:42 of the third period. The Black Bears killed the penalty, but as Byron stepped onto the ice he touched the puck while still partly in the penalty box and given an interference penalty, sending Michigan State to its 11th power play of the game.

“That is a rule. It’s not one you ever see called. It just never happens but it happened, and it’s in the rulebook,” said Gendron.

Freshman Zach Osburn collected the puck on his stick near the left faceoff circle and snapped a quick shot through a screen that found its way by Maine goalie Matt Morris with 1:09 left in regulation.

“Our team really battled from start to finish,” said Gendron. “We made mistakes taking penalties, it never change the composure on the bench, and it never changed the cohesiveness among the players.”

Maine led 2-1 after forty minutes of play, but Joe Cox tied the game at 3:50 of the third period with a power-play goal only 25 seconds into the man advantage.

Cox pounced on a loose puck, firing a shot by Morris.

Byron restored Maine’s one-goal lead, 3-2, with a shorthanded goal less than four minutes later.

Cam Brown capitalized on a turnover in Maine’s zone for an odd-man rush. He dished a cross-ice pass to Byron, who converted on the two-on-one, lifting the puck over Hildebrand at 7:08 of the third period.

Morris finished with 33 saves while Hildebrand stopped 26 of 29 shots.

Maine would open the scoring with a power-play goal only 3:10 into the first period. Will Merchant picked up a loose rebound right circle and fired a wrist shot past Michigan State goaltender Jake Hildebrand.

At 15:13, the Spartans evened the score, 1-1, as Osburn’s shot from the point beat Morris for his first goal of the game.

Brian Morgan regained the lead for the Black Bears with the lone goal of the second period, and the only even-strength goal of the game, with a slap shot at the 10:40 mark of the period.

After Morgan’s goal, Maine was whistled for three consecutive penalties within a 1:40 span, giving Michigan State its second extended five-on-three power play.

The Black Bears killed all three penalties as the crowd erupted into a loud roar when Rob Michel stepped back onto the ice with five minutes remaining in the second period.

“That’s Maine fans,” Swavely quipped. “We knew they were going to be loud, and they didn’t disappoint. We definitely have that extra jump when we hear them yelling and screaming out loud.”

NOTES: The University of North Dakota overcame a slow start to earn a 5-2 win over Lake Superior State University in the afternoon game of the Ice Breaker Tournament. Former UMaine player J.T. Henke tallied the first goal of the game less than five minutes into the first period. Only 54 seconds later Henke assisted on the Lakers second goal, scored by Mitch Hults. North Dakota tallied three goals in the second period to grab a 3-2 lead, and Byrn Chyzyk added two in the third period for a 5-2 victory.

North Dakota will play Maine tomorrow night at 8 pm at the Cross Insurance Arena. Lake Superior will play Michigan St. in the afternoon game.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login