Senior center Harrison Scott netted a pair of goals and the fifth-ranked University of Maine hockey team scored four third-period goals for the second straight day en route to a 6-2 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at the Houston Field House in Troy, N.Y. Sunday afternoon.
The Black Bears completed the weekend sweep after winning Saturday afternoon’s contest 6-0.
UMaine is now 10-2-2 and extended its unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1).
RPI fell to 5-6-1.
It was UMaine’s first non-conference road sweep since it swept RPI on Dec. 29-30, 2017.
Early first-period power play goals 19 seconds apart by Scott with the two-man advantage and Ross Mitton with the carryover one-man advantage staked the Black Bears to a 2-0 lead but Jakob Lee’s late first-period tally and Nathan Sullivan’s second-period goal tied it for RPI.
It took the Black Bears just 1:31 into the third period to take the lead for good when sophomore right wing Josh Nadeau found the back of the net before Scott’s second of the game expanded the lead at the 9:32 mark.
Taylor Makar sewed up the win with 5:20 remaining and Owen Fowler closed out the scoring with 33 seconds remaining.
The Black Bears were without injured graduate student center and co-captain Lynden Breen, who had three goals and an assist in Saturday’s victory, and top-scoring defenseman Brandon Holt.
Both have lower body injuries.
Breen sustained his injury in the third period of Saturday’s game.
“We were playing for Breener today,” said Scott. “He led the way with his energy yesterday and we piggybacked off it today. We were playing for all the guys who weren’t in the lineup.”
Scott called it a “culture” win.
“It’s about playing hard and heavy, tracking back, getting the puck, shoving it (into the offensive zone) and doing the right things,” said Scott.
He added that they knew “we had more in us” going into the third period.
“We stuck with our game and played Black Bear hockey at the end,” said Scott.
“Our first period was pretty good and (RPI) turned it up in the second period and we were back on our heels a little bit,” said UMaine head coach and RPI graduate Ben Barr. “ (RPI) played much better. But we responded in the third. It was good to see the guys turn it up.”
Nadeau’s game-winner was set up by Makar.
“Taylor came out buzzing in the third period. He was moving his feet and had a great shift. He got the puck to Josh, who had gotten to the dirty area in front of the net. That was huge,” said Scott.
Makar won a puck battle along the right wing boards and sent a perfect cross-ice pass on his backhand side to Nadeau, who was wide open and one-timed the puck through RPI goalie Jack Watson.
It was Nadeau’s third of the season.
Mitton was the provider on Scott’s all-important goal to give UMaine a two-goal lead.
“I lost a faceoff but Ross kept it in (the offensive zone) and was relentless on the forecheck. I attacked the net and put a short backhander into the short side,” said Scott, whose goal was his team-leading ninth of the season.
Makar and Fowler each scored their fifth goals of the season and Mitton’s first-period goal was his third.
Lee scored his fourth for RPI and Sullivan’s was his first.
Albin Boija finished with 26 saves for the Black Bears and Watson had 44 for RPI.
Sophomore left wing Sully Scholle and sophomore defenseman Jack Dalton had a pair of assists apiece. Mitton and Makar each had an assist to go with their goals and UMaine also received assists from David Breazeale, Charlie Russell, Frank Djurasevic and Nolan Renwick.
Max Smolinski, Felix Caron and Dovar Tinling had assists for RPI.
UMaine will entertain Stonehill at 2 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday while RPI plays again on Friday night at Quinnipiac.