ORONO, Maine -- Brian Flynn (Lynnfield, Mass.) scored a goal and added an assist, but it was not enough as UMass Lowell scored four third period goals to earn a 4-3 victory in men's ice hockey action on Saturday night at Alfond Arena in Orono, Maine.
Maine falls to 3-6-1 overall with the loss and 3-5-0 in Hockey East play. UMass Lowell improves to 5-3-0 overall and 3-2-0 in conference play.
Maine took a 1-0 lead at 12:17 of the first period when Flynn tipped a WIll O'Neill (Salem, Mass.) shot from the blueline past UMass Lowell goalie Doug Carr. For Flynn, it was his fourth goal of the season. Mike Cornell (Franklin, Mass.) also assisted on the goal for the Black Bears. Maine took the 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
The Black Bears extended their lead to 2-0 with a power play goal at 14:01. In transition, Spencer Abbott (Hamilton, Ontario) fed Flynn in the neutral zone. He got the puck to Mark Anthoine (Lewiston, Maine) at the top of the face-off circle. Anthoine was able to elude his defender and broke in alone on Carr, beating him for his first goal of the season. Maine held a 2-0 lead after two periods of play.
The two teams them combined to score five third period goals, four of them by UMass Lowell.
UMass Lowell got on the board with a power play goal at 5:08 of the third period. David Vallorani fed Riley Wetmore in the right face-off circle. He then wristed a shot past Maine goalie Dan Sullivan (York, Pa.). The River Hawks tied the game with a second power play goal less than three minutes later. Derek Arnold had a shot that Wetmore tipped past Sullivan. For Wetmore, the goal was his ninth of the season and second of the game.
The River Hawks took their first lead of the night with their third straight power play goal just 59 seconds later. Scott Wilson scored an unassisted goal from the left face-off circle that went over Sullivan's shoulder and just under the cross bar.
Maine answered back at 11:52, tying the game at 3-3 with a power play goal of its own. O'Neill had a shot from the blueline that Joey Diamond (Long Beach, N.Y.) tipped past Carr from the crease. For Diamond, it was his sixth goal of the season. Abbott also assisted on the play.
Chad Ruhwedel notched the game-winner at 19:26 when he faked a shot and then wristed a shot over Sullivan's glove. It was the first goal for Ruhwedel. Joseph Pendenza and Doug Carr each assisted on the goal.
Maine finished the game with a 34-27 edge in shots on goal. The Black Bears were 2-for-3 on the power play, while UMass Lowell finished the game 3-for-5.
Sullivan made 23 saves in goal and falls to 2-3-1 on the season. Carr stopped 31 shots for the River Hawks. He improves to 4-1-0.
The Black Bears return to action on Friday, Nov. 18 when they travel to UMass for a single game. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM. UMass Lowell travels to New Hampshire next Friday.