TROY, N.Y. – The University of Maine men’s hockey team scored three goals in the second period in defeating Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 5-2, on Saturday afternoon at the Houston Field House. With the win, the Black Bears improve to 10-7-1 overall, while the Engineers drop to 3-13-3.
Sophomore Chase Pearson (Alpharetta, GA/Youngstown Phantoms) got the visitors off to a fast start, redirecting home his first goal of the season, just 56 seconds into the contest. A shot from the right point by freshman blueliner Brady Keeper (Cross Lake, MB/OCN Blizzard) was steered to the ice by Pearson, giving Maine a 1-0 lead.
The Engineers drew even at 11:00 even of the opening frame, as junior Brady Wiffen (St. Mary’s, ON/Trenton Golden Hawks) picked up a rebounds in front of the crease and lifted it over Black Bears junior netminder Rob McGovern (Weymouth, MA/Bay State Breakers) for his third of the year. Helpers on the 4-on-4 tally went to sophomores Todd Burgess (Phoenix, AZ/Fairbanks Ice Dogs) and Will Reilly (Toronto, ON/Nanaimo Clippers).
Maine regained the lead for good at with just 2:05 to play in the first, when sophomore defenseman Patrick Holway (Cohasset, MA/Dubuque Fighting Saints) buried a shot inside the left post from just inside the blue line. Pearson won an offensive zone draw back to freshman Eduards Tralmaks (Riga, Latvia/Chicago Steel), who found Holway in the center of the ice for the one-time finish.
Keeper netted the eventual game-winner 2:27 into the second, walking in from the right point, before firing over the glove of RPI junior goaltender Chase Perry (Andover, MN/Wenatchee Wild) for his fourth of the year. Helpers on the man advantage tally went to senior Nolan Vesey (North Reading, MA/South Shore Kings) and sophomore Tim Doherty (Portsmouth, RI/Boston Jr. Bruins).
Junior defenseman Keith Muehlbauer (Apple Valley, MN/Eastview High School) made it 4-1 at 4:38 of the second when he corralled a loose puck at the top of the circle and snuck a shot past Perry. Classmate Brendan Robbins (Nashua, NH/Nashua North High School) then added a shorthanded goal at 7:11 for a 5-1 advantage. The unassisted goal was his sixth on the season.
RPI drew to within 5-2 at 9:41 of the third, netting a power play tally off the stick of Reilly. Junior Evan Tironese (Qualicum Beach, BC/Alberni Valley) sent a cross-point pass to the left for Reilly, who one-timed a shot past McGovern for his sixth goal of the campaign.
McGovern (3-4-0) finished with 36 saves, while Perry (1-6-2) had 27 at the other end of the ice. Rensselaer was 1 for 5 on the power play, with Maine winding up 1 for 3.
The Engineers are back in action next weekend, when they visit Harvard and Dartmouth on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (7pm), respectively. Maine returns to the ice on Saturday at Boston University (7pm).
