BOSTON - Taylor Makar scored twice and Josh Nadeau had a goal and an assist to lead second-seeded Maine to a 5-2 win over fourth-seeded UConn in the final game of the 40th annual Hockey East Championship Friday evening in front of 17,605 fans at TD Garden. The title is the sixth for the Black Bears, the third most in league history, and Maine's first since 2004.
The title completes a turnaround for the Black Bears (24-7-6) who last season reached the semifinals for the first time since 2012. Maine won its first five titles from 1989 to 2004.
Sophomore goalie Albin Boija stopped 27 shots, and also added an assist, was exceptional in all three of Maine's tournament victories to pick up the William Flynn Hockey East Tournament MVP. Taylor Heaslip scored a pair of third period goals for the Huskies (22-11-5) who twice in the period tried to rally from three-goal deficits.
Maine co-captain Lyndon Breen opened the scoring 12:47 into the first, beating UConn goalie Tyler Muszelik. On a two-on-one, he faked a pass and his wrist shot whistled between the pads with Nadeau picking up an assist. Nadeau made it 2-0 at 16:29 with a spectacular end-to-end effort skating around all four UConn penalty killers before beating Muszelik in the low slot. Getting an assist on the power play goal was the goaltender Boija.
The Black Bears would make it 3-0 at 16:37 of the middle period on a goal by Harrison Scott. UConn could not clear a rebound of a shot by David Breazeale in the low slot, and Scott batted in the loose puck for his 18th of the year.
The Huskies would answer with Heaslip's first at 3:11 into the third. Kadan Shahan went around the net and Heaslip rapped in his centering pass in the low slot. Nick Carabin picked up an assist on the goal. But Maine bounced back at 9:21 on a goal by Makar, who grabbed a loose puck at the blue line, cruised down the left side and snapped it in. Assists went to Nolan Renwick and Breazeale.
UConn would get one back to cut the deficit in half at 14:41 on another by Heaslip, who converted a nifty feed from Jake Percival on the right side. Makar wrapped up the scoring with an empty-netter with 1:25 left.
Renwick and Breazeale each had two helpers for Maine, who also scored on the only power play attempt in the game for either side in the tight but cleanly played contest. UConn outshot the Black Bears 29-24 with a 12-8 edge in the final period. Muszelik finished with 19 saves for UConn.
Boija was joined on the Steve Nazro Hockey East All-Tournament Team by teammates and defensemen Luke Antonacci and Breazeale, and forwards Scott and Owen Fowler. UConn forward Joey Muldowney, who had a hat trick in the semis, rounded out the squad.
Maine earns Hockey East's automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Championship. The 16-team bracket will be announced live on Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPNU and NCAA.com. UConn will likely earn an at large selection, its first trip to the NCAAs. Maine has played in 24 NCAA tourneys including last season, and has won two national titles.
Notes:
- This is the first championship game in the last 22 without one the league's six Massachusetts schools represented. In the last, New Hampshire topped Maine in 2002 (there was no final in 2020).
- This is the first-ever postseason meeting between UConn and Maine. The Huskies first year in men's Hockey East was 2014-15. Maine is a charter member.
- UConn took the regular season series from Maine, 2-0-1. Two of the three games needed overtime and the tie was settled with a Maine shootout win.
- The Black Bears now are 15-1-1 in games they lead after two periods and are 19-0-1 when they score three or more goals, including all three games of the tournament. They beat UMass Lowell 7-1 in the quarterfinals and won 4-3 over Northeastern in double overtime in the semis.
