Senior F Riley Wetmore (Swanton, Vt.) and junior F Josh Holmstrom (Colorado Springs, Colo.) scored second-period goals 2:45 apart to lead No. 15/17 UMass Lowell over the University of Maine, 2-1, Friday night in a Hockey East clash in front of 4,499 at the Tsongas Center.
With the win, UMass Lowell improved to 2-3-1 overall and 1-2-1 in Hockey East while Maine slipped to 1-9-0 overall and 0-5-0 in Hockey East.
The rematch is Saturday night at the Tsongas Center (7:05).
The win marked the first time since Mar. 12, 2010 that UMass Lowell won a game without scoring at least three goals, dating back to its Hockey East Tournament quarterfinal win at Maine (2-1).
"We were pleased to get two points. It was a hard-fought game and both teams had their chances," said head coach Norm Bazin. "We had some good pressure in front of their net. And we had a couple goals go in off rebounds."
Maine opened the scoring with five seconds left in the first period on a power play. Sophomore F Connor Leen poke-checked to freshman F Devin Shore in the corner, who passed to freshman D Ben Hutton, who fired home from the right point.
Wetmore leveled 4:21 into the second frame when freshman A.J. White (Dearborn, Mich.) passed to junior Derek Arnold (Foxboro, Mass.), whose touch bounced to Wetmore who finished from the left side.
Holmstrom provided the game-winner shortly after when junior F Joe Pendenza (Wilmington, Mass.) pushed up the board to junior D Chad Ruhwedel (San Diego, Calif.), whose shot was blocked, but Holmstrom was there for the put-back.
Shots were even at 25 apiece as junior GK Doug Carr (Hanover, Mass.) stopped 24 shots and senior Martin Ouellette 23 for the Black Bears.
"I'm thankful we were able to sneak out a win for him," Bazin said of Carr.