SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The day began ominously for the University of Maine hockey team when starting freshman goalie Albin Boija came down with an illness and was ruled out of Thursday’s NCAA Springfield Regional first round game against Cornell at the MassMutual Center.
Senior Victor Ostman got the start in net, his first since a 5-2 loss at New Hampshire on Feb. 17.
University of Maine junior center Harrison Scott gave the Black Bears a nice lift by scoring the game’s first goal but Cornell junior left wing Kyle Penney tied it later in the first period and Sullivan Mack supplied his team with the go-ahead goal in the second period and scored an insurance goal in the third as the Big Red went on to post a 3-1 victory.
Cornell, now 22-6-6, will take on 29-9-3 Denver, a 2-1 double overtime winner over UMass earlier in the day, in Saturday’s 4 p.m. regional final for a berth in the Frozen Four.
UMaine, appearing in its first NCAA Tournament since the 2011-12 season, finished up at 23-12-2.
Scott’s 15th goal of the season came just 5:43 into the game before Penney equalized by scoring his 10th at 13:56 of the first period.
UMaine had a glorious opportunity to extend the lead on a five-minute power play shortly after Scott scored.
But they couldn’t capitalize as the Big Red did a nice job keeping the Black Bears to the outside and protecting the net front. They also got some important clears.
Scott had the two best chances with the man advantage for UMaine but goalie Ian Shane came up big to keep it a one-goal deficit.
Scott had an open wrister from the middle of the slot which was kicked out by Shane.
Scott followed his shot only to have Shane also stop his follow-up.
That penalty kill gave the Big Red a momentum lift.
UMaine had scored at least one power play in its previous six games, going 8-for-19.
Scott had opened the scoring by skating unattended down the slot, taking a short pass from Donavan Houle and wristing a 20-foot shot back across the grain and past Shane’s glove.
Penney tied it up off a turnover by UMaine’s Parker Lindauer.
Lindauer had an opportunity to clear the defensive zone but coughed up the puck to Cornell’s Gabriel Seger, who slid it across to an open Penney in the middle of the slot.
Penney took a few strides and beat Ostman to the blocker side.
Cornell took the lead at the 12:09 mark of the middle period.
Mack kept the puck in along the boards at the right point, skated diagonally to the middle of the slot and beat Ostman to the far corner from the inner half of the right faceoff circle.
It was his sixth of the season.
The Big Red, the stingiest team among the 64 Division I programs with its 1.88 goals against average, used its superior size and defensive prowess to win.
