The University of Maine men’s hockey team received a 31-save performance that included two breakaway stops in its 2-1 victory over Boston College on Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,043 at Alfond Arena in Orono.
UMaine, picked to finish last in the Hockey East preseason coaches poll, completed a weekend sweep of BC and clinched a home ice berth for the first round of the Hockey East playoffs on March 8.
UMaine, extending its unbeaten streak to seven games, is now 15-13-5 overall and 9-9-4 in Hockey East, while BC fell to 12-14-6 and 7-10-5, respectively.
Nolan Renwick’s first-period power play goal and Donavan Houle’s second-period goal staked the Black Bears to a 2-0 lead, but Cutter Gauthier’s power play goal with 6:22 left in the middle period cut the lead in half.
It was BC’s fourth power play goal of the weekend as the Eagles went 3-for-6 in its 6-3 loss to the Black Bears on Friday night.
The Black Bears protected the lead as goalie Victor Ostman made six third-period saves and BC’s Mike Posma hit the post to the right of Ostman.
Mitch Benson made 23 saves for the Eagles.
Renwick’s goal was his eighth of the season. He was parked in the low slot and redirected a Grayson Arnott pass along the ice through Benson’s pads. Jakub Sirota also assisted on the goal.
It was UMaine’s fourth power play opportunity of the period and that included a two-man advantage that lasted 38 seconds.
Houle extended the lead at the 11:40 mark of the middle period when he got his stick on Arnott’s shot from the point and deflected it past Benson. Lynden Breen also had an assist.
Gauthier’s 16th goal of the year came on a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle that slipped through Ostman’s pads. Eamon Powell made the pass to Gauthier and goalie Benson also earned an assist on the goal.
