Maine finishes off the weekend sweep of the Fighting Sioux with 4 - 2 win

GUSTAV NYQUIST SNAPS OFF MAINE'S 1ST GOAL (PHOTO JEFF SCHOOLS)

The Maine Black Bears answered the bell for the 2nd straight night at the Alfond, beating the #2 ranked North Dakota Fighting Sioux 4 - 2.

Gustav Nyquist has a goal and an assist, Robby Dee collected 2 assists for the Black Bears in the win.

It was obvious from the start No Dakota was not going to allow a repeat of last nights 5 goal outburst by Maine. The Fighting Sioux clogged the lanes and made it difficult for Maine to get any offensive flow going. Maine's Adam Shamansky had the two best scoring chances of the 1st getting close, but both times stopped by No Dakota goalie Aaron Dell.

The first half of the 2nd started out the same. No Dakota made offensive movement by Maine difficult. Spencer Abbott got the best chance early on as he broke in, got a point blank shot for 1 hole. Dell got just enough glove on it to deflect the puck off the cross bar.

The Sioux got on the the first goal of the game at the 13:25 mark of the 2nd. The Sioux crashed the net, got enough bodies in front of freshman goaltender Dan Sullivan, and slid one past for a Sioux 1 - 0 lead.

Maine didn't waste any time responding, as 3 1/2 minutes later, the Black Bears evened the score. Spencer Abbott got off a shot from the blue line with Robby Dee crashing the net. Dee got in front of Dell, Tanner House came in to help, and got the puck kicked out to Gustav Nyquist all alone for a clean shot. He snapped off a wrister 1 hole past Dell for the 1 - 1 tie.

Putting bodies in front of Dell paid off again 2 minutes later, as a mad scramble resulted in Joey Diamond poking home a rebound for a Maine 2 - 1 lead at the 18:17 mark of the 2nd. Robby Dee and Josh Van Dyk assisted.

Maine picked up right where it left off in the second scoring just 54 seconds into the 3rd. Jeff Dimmen fed Bryan Flynn at the bottom of the circle, who blasted a shot past Dell for the 3 - 1 lead.

The Black Bears put the game away 5 minutes later as Spencer Abbott finally put one past Dell on a 5 - 3. The Sioux's Ben Blood and Brad Malone were off for Slashing and Tripping respectively.

North Dakota got on the score sheet at the 8:11 mark of the 3rd, at the Sioux's Matt Frattin came in alone shorthanded and beat Sullivan 3 hole for the final score of 4 - 2.

The freshman Sullivan impressed, making tough stops all night, stopping 23 of 25 shots. Sullivan got his first NCAA win.

GAME NOTES: Maine was 2-9 on the power play, No Dakota was 0 - 4.

POST GAME INTERVIEWS
Gustav Nyquist

Spencer Abbott

Bryan Flynn

Dan Sullivan

Head Coach Tim Whitehead


PHOTO GALLERY