The University of Maine’s eighth-ranked hockey team found another way to carve out a win on Saturday night at a sold-out Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.
The Black Bears saw a 1-0 lead turn into a 2-1 deficit with just 7:23 remaining in the game. But they received the tying goal from Cole Hanson and the game-winner from freshman Josh Nadeau 3:01 minutes later to edge Atlantic Hockey team Bentley University from Waltham, Mass., 3-2.
UMaine will take a 10-3-1 record and a four-game winning streak into the Christmas break while Bentley fell to 8-10.
It was UMaine’s fourth game in nine days.
Nadeau’s goal was his second of the game and 10th of the season.
He had opened the scoring midway through the second period to extend his points streak to 10 games, but Bentley’s Ryan Upson tied it at the 10:07 mark of the third period and Kellan Hjartarson gave the Falcons a 2-1 lead just 2:30 later.
But Hanson, who had just one assist in 10 games this season after scoring six goals last season, tied it just 11 seconds later to set the stage for Nadeau’s game-winner.
Hanson had missed the previous three games due to a minor injury.
“When we went down, we started back-checking better. We were just a step slow on a lot of backchecks and hits,” said UMaine head coach Ben Barr. “It was the same at Union (3-1 win on Wednesday).
“But they dug down. It was a really big goal by Cole Hanson to tie back up right after they had scored,” Barr said. “It was good to see him get one.”
“(The win) wasn’t pretty. We knew it wasn’t going to be. We’ve played four games in nine days. But we found a way (to win),” added the third-year head coach.
Nadeau made it 1-0 at the 11:50 mark of the second period when he directed a Lynden Breen pass past Bentley goalie Connor Hasley. Nadeau’s brother, Bradly, also assisted on the goal.
Upson tied it with his third of the season as he banged in the equalizer through a crowded goalmouth. Ryan Mansfield picked up the assist.
Hjartarson notched his fourth goal of the season by beating UMaine goalie Victor Ostman with a shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle off a Stephen Castagna feed.
But on the ensuing center ice faceoff, Sully Scholle got the puck to Brandon Chabrier at the point. Chabrier took a shot from the point that was saved by Hasley only to have the rebound wind up on the stick of Hanson, who swept it home.
Nadeau’s game-winner was initiated by an Ostman save.
“The puck bounced to me and I came down the ice in a two-on-one. I saw a shot lane and I wound up scoring,” said Nadeau who beat Hasley with a quick wrist shot from the right faceoff circle.
“That was a big-time shot,” Barr said.
“We didn’t get off to our best start as a team but we found a way to come back and get the three points,” said Nadeau, who now has eight goals and 10 assists during his 10-game points streak.
Ostman finished with 29 saves while Hasley ended up with 32.
Barr said Ostman made some important saves and played well.
UMaine won’t play again until it faces Atlantic Hockey team Rochester Institute of Technology in the Dartmouth College tournament on Friday, Dec. 29, in Hanover, N.H.
“The last couple of weeks have been a lot to ask of the guys and I’m proud to see how they found a way (to win),” said Barr, who is hoping the time off will help them get re-energized.
Bentley will entertain Union on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 5:30.
