ORONO, Maine — The University of Maine’s men’s hockey team was in desperate need of a win on Friday night and senior captain Steven Swavely made it happen.
Center Swavely’s second goal of the game, coming with 3:39 left in the third period, gave the Black Bears a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Colgate University in front of 3,224 at Alfond Arena.
Maine, coming off an embarrassing 7-0 loss to archrival New Hampshire, snapped a four-game winless streak (0-3-1) and improved to 5-11-4. Colgate lost its fourth straight and fell to 5-14-1.
The teams will play again on Saturday night at 7.
Swavely capitalized on a giveaway by senior defenseman Kevin Lough, who lost the puck off his stick in the faceoff circle to the right of goalie Charlie Finn.
“I pressured him and he tried to make pass to his defense partner but he fumbled it,” said Swavely, who skated in alone on Finn on the forehand side, switched the puck to the backhand and roofed it from the edge of the crease.
“I faked [a shot] on the forehand side to get him to drop down,” said Swavely.
“It was an unfortunate turnover,” said Colgate coach Don Vaughan. “Kevin Lough played a great game.”
Speedster Lough had a good opportunity to tie it when he busted down the left wing with Rob Michel in pursuit but freshman goalie Rob McGovern held the short side to preserve the lead.
The Raiders pulled Finn in favor of the extra attacker with 2:09 left. Both teams were playing a man short.
But Cam Brown added an empty-net goal off a Blaine Byron pass.
McGovern picked up his first career win with a solid 24-save performance. He made nine Grade-A saves.
Finn finished with 30 stops of which 11 were of the Grade-A variety.
Colgate junior defenseman Brett Corkey opened the scoring in the first period with his fourth goal of the season but Swavely answered 4:41 later with his fourth.
Corkey scored at the 9:52 mark when he took a pass from Hunter Racine at the right point, took a stride and fired a 45-foot slap shot through a screen that beat McGovern to the glove side.
Swavely tied it after an errant Colgate breakout pass hit a Raider skate and deflected to him at the top of the left circle. He was able to skate around a Raider and take a low 30-foot wrist shot that beat Finn to the far corner.
Will Merchant was screening directly in front of Finn.
Both goalies made nice saves later in the period as McGovern was able to get his glove on a solo effort by Tim Harrison, who got behind the Maine defense, and Finn kicked out his right pad to rob Swavely.
Neither team generated many scoring chances in the second period but Maine dictated play in the third period, outshooting Colgate 16-9.
Finn made a terrific save off Brendan Robbins’ point-blank one-timer halfway through the final period.
“With the exception of the first 10 minutes of the game, I thought we played a good game,” said Swavely. “[McGovern] played a helluva’ game.”
“We didn’t give them [many scoring chances] after the first 10 minutes,” said Maine coach Red Gendron. “They had only two shots on goal on three power plays. Our puck management was much, much better than it was against New Hampshire.
“We played very well in the third period,” added Gendron.
Vaughan thought his team played well “for two periods.
“We didn’t have any jam in the third period. We were back on our heels. We were skating only three lines,” said Vaughan, whose team was without three injured regulars.
He thought his six defensemen played one of their best games of the season and both goalies were sharp.
“Charlie saw the puck well and McGovern made a couple of stops in close late,” said Vaughan.