The fifth-ranked University of Maine men’s hockey team erupted for four third-period goals en route to a 6-0 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at the Houston Field House in Troy, NY on Saturday afternoon.
Graduate student center and co-captain Lynden Breen had a hat trick and an assist to lead the way for the Black Bears but he sustained a lower body injury in the third period and had to leave the game.
He was taken to a local hospital after the game for further evaluation.
“It’s a tough one to swallow. He was playing so well and he is such a great leader for us,” said UMaine head coach Ben Barr. “He got us going offensively. He was a sparkplug for us just like he was at UNH.”
Breen had a goal and an assist in the come-from-behind 3-1 win at New Hampshire last weekend.
Sophomore right wing Charlie Russell, senior center Harrison Scott and sophomore defenseman Frank Djurasevic had the other Black Bear goals and sophomore goalie Albin Boija made 16 saves in posting his third shutout of the season.
UMaine improved to 9-2-2 overall and will take a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) into Sunday’s 3 p.m. series finale.
RPI fell to 5-5-1.
Russell scored what proved to be the game-winner 9:37 into the game, his fourth goal of the season.
Breen fed the puck to Owen Fowler in the right faceoff circle and Fowler got off a weak wrist shot that landed on the stick or Russell at the bottom of the circle.
Russell spun around and beat RPI graduate student goaltender Noah Giesbrecht with a backhander.
Breen scored his third of the campaign 25 seconds into the middle period when he took a short pass from Fowler while cruising down the middle of the slot, skated over to the far post and roofed a backhander over Giesbrecht.
Breen added his second and third goals 1:55 apart early in the third period with the second coming on the power play.
Scott and Djurasevic also scored on the power play to sew up the win. Scott’s goal was his seventh and Djurasevic notched his third with all three coming in the last four games.
RPI’s Giesbrecht made 38 saves on 44 shots before Carson Dorfman replaced him and stopped all six shots he faced.
UMaine outshot RPI 50-16.
Russell and Djurasevic each had an assist to go with their goals and Josh Nadeau, Sully Scholle and Fowler had two assists apiece.
Junior left wing Fowler, a UMass Lowell transfer, now has three goals and three assists in his last four games.
“We finally broke through in the third period,” said Barr. “It was good to see the guys execute. And they played really hard. We had a bunch of guys who played well.
“At times, we tried to let them back in the game in the first and second periods which was a little frustrating. But the guys came out and played their best in the third period,” added Barr.