Northeastern University’s Huskies scored three goals on a five-minute major penalty early in the third period to break a 2-2 tie and earn a 6-3 victory over the nationally-ranked University of Maine’s Black Bears at Matthews Arena on Friday night.
Northeastern’s win was its fourth in a row and fifth in six games while the Black Bears lost for just the second time in their last 13 games (10-2-1).
Northeastern improved to 11-12-2 overall and 6-11 in Hockey East play thanks to its five-goal third period while UMaine, ranked fifth in one national poll and sixth in another, fell to 16-5-2 and 8-4-1.
UMaine will visit UMass for a 7 p.m. game on Saturday while Northeastern will take on Harvard in a Beanpot Tournament at TD Garden in Boston on Monday at 5.
UMaine took a 2-1 lead into the third period as second period goals by freshman right wing Josh Nadeau and junior center Cole Hanson erased a 1-0 deficit created by freshman right wing Dylan Hryckowian’s first-period goal.
Sophomore defenseman Hunter McDonald’s four-on-four goal tied it 3:10 into the third period and, just 1:25 later, UMaine graduate student left wing Ben Poisson was assessed a five-minute major for a contact to the head infraction.
Senior left wing Alex Campbell, junior center Justin Hryckowian and sophomore center Jack Williams converted on that power play in a span of 1:37 to break the game open and deal UMaine its first loss in a game in which it led after two periods.
UMaine had killed off the last 19 power plays before NU’s outburst.
It was the third time in the last four games that Northeastern had scored at least two power play goals.
“They have a great power play, they always have,” said UMaine head coach Ben Barr. “You can’t give a good team like that power plays. We got what we deserved. It was an offensive zone penalty and there didn’t seem to be a need for it.”
Hanson scored another goal in the final minute before Vinny Borgesi added an empty-net goal.
McDonald began the comeback with a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle that beat UMaine senior goalie Victor Ostman to the stick side inside the short side post.
It was his first goal of the season and was set up by Justin Hryckowian and Borgesi.
Barr said the goal resulted from a “bad line change.”
Campbell’s 14th goal of the season gave NU the lead for good 3:31 later as he beat Ostman with a one-timer into the short side from the right faceoff dot. Justin Hryckowian and Matt Demelis had assists.
It took just 23 seconds to make ite 4-2 as Justin Hryckowian notched his sixth of the season by jamming home a rebound from the edge of the crease after the initial shot came off Ostman’s glove.
Williams capped the flurry with a one-timer from the left circle that squeezed between Ostman’s pads. It was the Biddeford native’s 14th of the season.
Dylan Hryckowian, Justin’s brother, provided the only scoring in the first period by swatting the puck from a tight angle into the crease and having it glance in off the diving Ostman’s skate. It was his fifth of the season.
Josh Nadeau’s 13th tied it when he intercepted an errant NU pass, burst down the slot and beat NU freshman goalie Cameron Whitehead with a wrist shot past his blocker.
Hanson scored his second with a backhander from the slot that deflected off a diving NU defenseman and fluttered into the net.
“They’re a really good team,” said Barr. “We did some good things but our habits weren’t good enough. We were careless with the puck at times and they’re a real good transition team. You can’t play loose hockey against a team with that much skill. And all the teams we’re going to play have that kind of skill.”
Whitehead finished with 37 saves while Ostman made 27 stops.
