UMaine beats Northeastern

MAINE'S JOEY DIAMOND

Joey Diamond’s (Long Beach, N.Y.) power play goal with 10:09 remaining in the game broke a 2-2 tie and propelled the fifth-ranked University of Maine men’s ice hockey team to a 4-2 victory over Northeastern on Friday night at Alfond Arena. The Black Bears move to 5-1-3 overall and 3-0-1 in Hockey East play. The Huskies dropped to 1-6-2 and 1-3-1 in league play with the loss.

Northeastern broke the scoreless tie 17:06 into the first period when Rob Dongara notched a power play goal for the Huskies. Garrett Vermeersch controlled the puck in the left corner for the Huskies. As Vermeersch skated with the puck, Maine goaltender Dan Sullivan (York, Pa.) stumbled while trying to get position on the left post. Vermeersch sent the puck to the center of the blue line where Wade McLeod unleashed a slap shot that was tipped in front by Dongara.

Maine opened the second period skating on the power play when Jeff Dimmen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) cashed in for his second goal of the season to tie things up at one goal a piece. Diamond would control the puck deep in the left circle. Diamond fired a pass that snuck through the slot and found Dimmen above the right circle. Dimmen unleashed a slap shot that hit the back of the net. Brian Flynn also assisted on the goal for the Black Bears.

Northeastern would re-take the lead with a power play goal of its own 13:12 into the second period. Mike Hewkin sent a slap shot at the Maine net that was kicked aside by Sullivan. However, Mike McLaughlin was in perfect position to put the rebound home once again giving the Huskies a one goal advantage, 2-1.

The Black Bears would fight back to tie the game once again when Spencer Abbott (Hamilton, Ontario) notched his seventh goal of the season, 14:42 into the second period. Tanner House (Cochrane, Alberta) started the play when he slid a pass to Josh
Van Dyk (Woodstock, Ontario). Van Dyk rocketed a shot that was saved by Husky goaltender Chris Rawlings. The rebound would kick out to the left circle where Abbott was waiting. Abbott would light the lamp with a wrist shot that snuck past Rawlings
to send the game into the third period tied at two goals each.

Diamond would give Maine its first lead of the night 9:51 into the third period while the Black Bears skated on the power play. Flynn controlled the puck for Maine, sending it around the boards to Adam Shemansky (Robbinsville, N.J.). Shemansky would
look for an opening in front, make a move, and sent a beautiful, quick pass right in front to Diamond who one-timed the puck past Rawlings.

Gustav Nyquist (Malmo, Sweden) added an empty net goal with 11 seconds remaining in the third period to lock up the win for the Black Bears. Abbott picked up his eighth assist of the season on the fourth goal for the Black Bears. With the point, Nyquist extends his scoring streak to 10 games, dating back to last season.

Sullivan picks up his third win of the season after making 17 saves for the Black Bears, moving his record to 3-1-1 overall. Rawlings made 30 saves of his own for Northeastern but drops back to 1-5-2. Each teamed cashed in with two power play goals
as Maine was 2-7 on the power play and Northeastern was 2-5 with the man advantage.

The Black Bears skate back into action tomorrow when they close out the weekend series with Northeastern at 7 p.m. from Alfond Arena. Tickets are available for tomorrow’s game and can be purchased at the door.

--UMaine Press Release--