After scoring a season-high four goals in an overtime loss to UMass on Friday night, the offensive doldrums returned for the University of Maine men’s hockey team Saturday night as the Princeton University Tigers used second-period goals 3:13 apart by Kyle Rankin and Joe Grabowski to beat Maine 3-1 in the consolation game at the Capital City Classic in Trenton, New Jersey.
Princeton also benefited from Colton Phinney’s 38 saves and improved to 1-1 while snapping a seven-game losing streak and eight-game winless streak (0-7-1) dating back to last season.
Maine absorbed its fourth straight loss and fell to 0-4-3. The Black Bears have scored one goal or less in five of their seven games.
Freshman Dane Gibson’s first college goal cut the lead in half 6:08 into the third period but Phinney made 21 saves in the final period and Ben Foster added an empty-net goal with three seconds left.
Rankin tipped home a Josh Teves’ point shot and Grabowski scored on the power play with a screened shot from the blue line.
Maine has now given up at least one power-play goal in its last three games (4-for-12).
Maine had a five-minute power play to start the third period but couldn’t capitalize and a hooking penalty on Cam Brown 2:56 into it negated the rest of it.`
The Black Bears have now gone five games without a power-play goal (0-for-20).
Gibson fired a snap shot from the top of the circle past Phinney off a Conor Riley pass but the Bears couldn’t get the equalizer.
Freshman Rob McGovern made 22 saves for Maine.
“We played pretty well in the third period, not so well in the second and reasonably well in the first,” said Maine coach Red Gendron. “We had a ton of chances. Their goalie was exceptional. But that shouldn’t be an excuse for us not finding a way to score more goals.
“The offensive execution was much better this weekend but there is still room for improvement. The compete level was huge. We’ve played in four overtime games, we’ve lost a one-goal game [in regulation] and a two-goal game. That being said, we have to get over the hump. We aren’t far away but we’re 0-4-3 and we can’t run and hide from that,” added Gendron.
Yale won the tournament with a 6-1 win over UMass.
The Black Bears will open Hockey East play at Boston College next weekend.