#13 MEN'S HOCKEY EDGED BY #16 MAINE, 3-2
ORONO, Maine – Blake Kessel (Verona, Wis.)
handed out a pair of assists, but the 13th-ranked University of New
Hampshire men’s hockey team fell to 16th-ranked Maine, 3-2,
on Friday night in Hockey East action at Alfond Arena.
UNH falls to 13-9-4, 12-4-3 HE. Maine improves to 13-9-3, 10-6-2
HE. The teams will meet on Saturday night (7 p.m.) for the rubber
match of the three game series. The Wildcats captured a 5-2 win
over Maine on Oct. 24, 2009 at Whittemore Center in the
teams’ first meeting this year.
With the scored tied at 2-2 entering the third period, it was
Robby Dee’s goal just 44 seconds into the final frame that
proved to be the game winner. The tally was assisted by David
deKastozza. The goal was Maine’s third straight and completed
the comeback that included erasing a 2-0 deficit. UNH would have
several opportunities in the third including 32 seconds of 5-on-3
play late in the period and a pair of Grade-A scoring opportunities
that were turned away by netminder Scott Darling. The Wildcats held
an 11-10 shot advantage in the period.
Play was even early in the opening period when New Hampshire was
whistled for a penalty. Skating a man down, Kessel blocked a shot
from the left point and starting a three-on-two break that ending
with Mike Sislo (Superior, Wis.) finishing with a
one-timer from the right side that beat Maine’s Scott Darling
for the short-handed tally at 5:00 of the first period. Maine held
an 11-7 shot advantage in the frame.
The Wildcats extended the lead to 2-0 at 4:15 of the second period
as Phil DeSimone (East Amherst, N.Y.) skated the
puck into the offensive zone and beat Darling on his glove side.
Kessel and Paul Thompson (Derry, N.H.) were
credited with assists on the play. However, it was the Black Bears
answering with a pair of goals in the second half of the period as
Tanner House scored on the power play with assists from Gustav
Nyquist and Will O’Neill at 11:55. Maine potted the equalizer
in the final minute at 19:39 as Jeff Dimmen scored on the rebound
of a Nyquist shot, Brian Flynn also assisted on the tally. Maine
held a slim 13-12 shot advantage in the period.
UNH goalie Brian Foster (Pembroke, N.H.) stopped
31 shots including 11 in each of the first two periods. Foster
moves to 12-9-4, his counterpart Darling improves to 13-3-3 as he
stopped 28 shots including 11 in the final two periods.
Overall Maine held a 34-30 shot advantage. The Black Bears were
1-5 on the power play, while UNH was 0-3 in its extra-skater
opportunities.
The teams complete the two-game series on Saturday night. Puck
drops at 7 p.m. at Alfond Arena. The game will be televised
regionally on WABI-TV with radio broadcast on all of the stations
of the Wildcat Sports Network.
