University of Maine sophomore right winger Reid Pabich was irritated that his goal 1:25 into Saturday night’s 34th annual Ledyard Bank Classic championship game against host Dartmouth College was nullified by a video review that revealed the Black Bears were offsides on the play leading up to the goal.
Pabich hadn’t scored a goal in his last 25 games, dating back to last season.
But his next one counted and it proved to be his first career game-winner as the Black Bears won their first championship tournament since the Florida College Classic in Estero, Florida, on Dec. 29, 2012, by virtue of a 5-1 win over the Big Green at Thompson Arena in Hanover, New Hampshire.
Pabich also had an assist on the first of two goals by freshman left winger and linemate Sully Scholle and it came only 36 seconds after he had scored.
Junior center Harrison Scott scored his second goal in as many games and third in the last four to open the scoring and give UMaine a lead it would never relinquish. Senior center and co-captain Lynden Breen had the other goal for the eighth-ranked Black Bears, who improved to 12-3-1 with their sixth straight win.
Senior goalie Victor Ostman made 22 saves, including 13 in the first period when his team was outshot 13-7. UMaine outshot the Big Green 24-10 over the final two periods.
Sophomore left wing Cooper Flinton scored an unassisted goal late in the third period to pull the Big Green within 4-1. It was his team-leading sixth goal of the season and extended his goal-scoring streak to three games. Sophomore goalie Cooper Black wound up with 26 stops.
Pabich said having his first goal disallowed “fueled my fire a little bit” and he was relieved to score in the second period.
“It felt great. I needed that for my confidence,” said Pabich, a native of Verona, Wisconsin. “Hard work paid off a little bit. It felt good to get the monkey off my back.”
Josh Nadeau and Breen assisted on the goal as Breen broke into the zone and left a drop pass for Nadeau, who flipped the puck over to Pabich below the left faceoff dot.
Pabich beat Black with a one-timer to the short side.
“Josh made a good saucer pass over their defenseman’s stick,” Pabich said.
Nadeau had another assist on Breen’s goal and he has now extended his points streak to 12 games (8 goals, 13 assists).
Pabich went from goal scorer to distributor seconds after his goal when he took a hit from a Dartmouth player but was able to get the puck to Scholle for a two-on-one with linemate Felix Trudeau.
Scholle skated down the wing and fired the puck past Black for his second goal of the season.
Scholle made it 4-0 just 1:32 into the third period when a long stretch pass from sophomore defenseman Brandon Chabrier sent him in alone on Black and he beat the goaltender for his second of the game.
Scott had started the scoring 1:32 into the second period as he backhanded a Donavan Houle rebound past Black for his fourth of the season.
Breen capped the scoring with his sixth of the season off a Josh Nadeau pass with 3:31 remaining.
Scott was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Ostman was chosen the tourney’s best goalie and Scholle and senior right wing Houle were picked to the all-tourney team.
Scholle had an assist in Friday’s 5-2 win over the Rochester Institute of Technology and Houle had four assists in the two victories.
Scholle now has a three-game points streak (2 goals, 2 assists).
“We got better as the game went along,” said UMaine coach Ben Barr.
“Reid had his best game of the year and had a good weekend and Sully was outstanding all weekend. He hit a couple pipes last night. He is turning into a pretty good hockey player.”
Barr also said Scott and linemates Thomas Freel and Houle epitomize the identity of the team.
“They get to the net and it’s good to see them get rewarded for [their play],” Barr said.
Ostman made 14 stops in Friday night’s win.
“He is unreal. He is very calm and confident,” Pabich said of Ostman. “It’s nice knowing when you’re in the defensive zone that he is probably going to make a big save for you.”
Chabrier had two assists and now has a three-game points streak (1 goal, 4 assists). He has two goals and nine assists over his past seven contests.
RIT won the consolation game 4-2 over Lake Superior State.
