ORONO, ME. -- The University of Maine men's ice hockey team tied Hockey East Conference rival Vermont 5-5 Sunday afternoon at Alfond Arena. The Black Bears move to 4-6-2 overall and 2-4-2 in Hockey East. The University of Vermont Catamounts sees its record move to 3-5-2 overall and 3-2-2 in Hockey East. Maine's Rob Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.) tied the game at 5-5 with less than a minute to play in regulation.
Vermont took an early lead 1:50 into the first period when Corey Carlson netted a power play goal. Dean Stong and Peter Lenes each assisted on the first goal of the game for the Catamounts. Vermont added to its lead less than two minutes later when Kevan Miller beat Maine goalie Ben Bishop (Des Peres, Mo.) with a shot just to Bishop's right. Brian Roloff assisted on the goal for the Catamounts.
Maine got on the scoreboard just over two minutes later. Billy Ryan (Milton, Mass.) and Keenan Hopson (Prince George, British Columbia) teamed up to find Jeff Dimmen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) skating down the center of the ice. Dimmen beat Catamount goalie Joe Fallon (Bemidji, Minn.).
Vermont regained its two-goal lead when Dan Lawson beat Bishop with a shot from the blueline that appeared to have been going wide.
Again, Maine would answer back. Ryan found Bret Tyler (Maynard, Mass.) who had his shot from the top of the circles beat Fallon. Dimmen also assisted on the goal for the Black Bears. The Catamounts took the 3-2 lead into the first intermission. For Tyler, it was a power play goal.
Vermont added to its lead when Colin Vock scored his second of the season from Carlson and Lenes just 2:15 into the second period.
Maine answered back, this time, less than a minute later with a short-handed tally. Rob Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.) and Chris Hahn (Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan) broke in alone on a two-on-one breakaway. Bellamy fed Hahn on who beat Fallon with a shot that went inside the left goal post.
Vermont answered with a power play goal by Lenes who beat Bishop from just inside the blueline just 30 second after Maine had pulled to within one goal.
The Catamounts took the 5-3 lead into the third period. Maine pulled to within one goal when Hopson stole the puck in the neutral zone and skated in alone, beating Fallon for his third goal of the season.
Maine tied the goal with just 59 seconds left in the game. Andrew Sweetland (Bonavista, Newfoundland) found Rob Bellamy in front of the goal and he beat Fallon. Maine had pulled goalie Ben Bishop for the extra-attacker.
Maine's Ben Bishop made made 17 saves in goal for the Black Bears. He moves to 4-6-2 on the season. Fallon stopped 27 shots. He moves to 3-4-2.
The Black Bears return to action on Saturday, December 1 when they host the University of New Brunswick in an exhibition game starting at 7 p.m. at Alfond Arena in Orono.