Chris Forney scored on the power play 11:16 into the third period on Friday night, snapping a tie game to lift the University of Massachusetts Lowell to a 3-2 Hockey East victory over the University of Maine at the Tsongas Center.
With the setback, the Black Bears have now failed to win in 23 consecutive road games (0-19-4) dating back to a win at Massachusetts on Jan. 30, 2016.
Connor Wilson and Nick Master assisted on the game-winner for UMass Lowell (4-5, 1-4 HE), which went 1-for-5 on the power play.
“We played hard and we did a lot of good things, but we needed a little bit more,” said UMaine coach Red Gendron.
Freshman Emil Westerlund scored his first two collegiate goals to spearhead the Black Bears (2-5, 1-2-1 HE).
UMaine held a 12-5 advantage in shots on goal in the first period, but the score remained deadlocked until midway through the second period.
Westerlund gave the Black Bears a 1-0 lead with an unassisted goal at the 10:01 mark of the period.
“Obviously he played really well and played hard. He could have had a couple more, actually, as well,” Gendron said. “It was a great night for him. It’s a good night for his confidence as a young player.
However, UMass Lowell equalized less than four minutes later, even as UMaine was on the power play. Colin O’Neill scored a shorthanded goal at the 13:50 mark, with assists from Nick Master and Mattias Gorensson, to make it 1-1.
It didn’t take long for the Black Bears to regain the upper hand. With UMaine back on the power play, Westerlund tipped a Rob Michel shot past Christoffer Hernberg at the 15:17 mark.
Chase Pearson also notched an assist.
Undaunted, the River Hawks knotted things up at 2-2 only 3:07 later. This time, Ryan Lohin scored off assists from Goransson and O’Neill.
Hernberg made 27 saves to backstop the victory for the River Hawks.
Rob McGovern registered 24 stops for the Black Bears, who were 1-for-3 with the man advantage.
The teams wrap up their Hockey East series with a 4 p.m. game on Saturday.