Junior defenseman Matt Benning’s goal 4:41 into overtime capped a three-goal rally to give the sixth-seeded Northeastern University Huskies a 3-2 win over 11th seed University of Maine in the first game of their best-of-three Hockey East first-round series Friday night at Matthews Arena in Boston.
The teams will play again at 7 p.m. Saturday, and an if-necessary game will be 7 p.m. Sunday.
The Huskies capitalized on a turnover by Cam Brown at the Maine blue line to generate a quickly-orchestrated three-on-two that resulted in the game-winner.
The Huskies sped into the zone with Zach Aston-Reese leaving a drop pass in the middle of the slot for Benning, who blasted a low slap shot past the right skate of UMaine freshman goalie Rob McGovern.
“I tried to chip it off the wall out of the zone but they kept it in,” said Brown.
Northeastern improved its record to 17-13-5 by virtue of its eighth straight win and third in a row over UMaine.
The Black Bears fell to 8-23-6 in absorbing their eighth loss in nine games.
McGovern wound up with 29 saves while NU freshman Ryan Ruck stopped 19 shots.
“We played well but puck management issues cost us,” said Maine coach Red Gendron. “Each team had momentum swings. We need to manage the puck better more consistently. McGovern played very well.”
“We have to make smart plays at both blue lines,” said senior left wing and alternate captain Will Merchant. “McGovern played a great game. We need to help him out more.
Merchant added that “Northeastern is a real good team all the way around.”
Northeastern outshot the Black Bears 32-21 although UMaine had the first three shots in overtime before the Huskies scored on their first opportunity.
Late first-period goals 17 seconds apart by Brown and Andrew Tegeler staked UMaine to a 2-0 lead, but John Stevens’ second-period goal and Kevin Roy’s power-play goal scored in the third period tied it up.
McGovern was stellar in the first period as he stopped all 13 shots he faced including a point-blank stop off Adam Gaudette early in the period and two stops off Roy on the same shift.
Brown opened the scoring against the run of play on the power play at the 17:51 mark.
Blaine Byron made a nice diagonal pass to a wide open Dan Renouf at the left point, and he took a couple of strides, faked a shot and slid it across to the right circle where Brown one-timed it into the exposed net before Northeastern freshman goalie Ryan Ruck could scramble over.
Tegeler quickly expanded the lead when he received a pass from Nolan Vesey, broke free down the right wing and snapped a 17-foot wrister over Ruck’s glove into the short-side corner.
The Huskies again carried the play in the second period, and John Stevens found himself all alone cruising down the left wing off a three-on-two only to have his shot hit the post.
McGovern made a couple of gems early off an unattended Garret Cockerill in the high slot and Brendan Collier in the low slot.
The Huskies finally broke through at the 14:39 mark when Stevens drove to the net and flipped home an Aston-Reese rebound after McGovern had held the short side on his wraparound attempt.
With Brian Morgan in the penalty box due to a slashing call, Roy notched the equalizer off a pretty passing sequence.
Gaudette fed a pass to Nolan Stevens in the right circle, and he fired a no-look pass across to the far post where the uncovered Roy simply tapped the puck into the short side.
“This was a tough pill to swallow,” said Brown. “But we have to turn around and play our best tomorrow.“