Defenseman Sam Duerr never scored a goal during his 32-game career over two seasons at the University of Maine. He tallied seven assists.
But he has now scored 12 goals in his season and a half at Bentley University (Mass.) including the game-winner on Sunday evening as the Falcons upset the fourth-ranked Black Bears 4-2 at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.
Bentley, which is tied for first place with Sacred Heart in Atlantic Hockey America, improved to 11-5-2 and is now 6-1-1 in its last eight games.
Junior goalie Connor Hasley made 43 saves for the Falcons, who were outshot 45-19.
UMaine, 12-3-2, had its five-game winning streak and seven-game unbeaten streak (6-0-1) snapped.
Duerr’s sixth goal of this season came with 2:09 left in the second period and supplied the Falcons with a 3-1 lead.
Oliver Salo staked the Falcons to a lead they would never relinquish just 1:42 into the game. That was the only goal in the first period and was Salo’s second of the season.
Ethan Leyh extended the lead to 2-0 on the power play 3:51 into the second period. It was his seventh of the campaign.
UMaine’s Harrison Scott cut the lead in half with a power play goal at the 10:20 mark before Duerr restored the two-goal lead.
Scott scored his second of the game and team-leading 12th of the season at the 11:36 mark of the third period, a shorthanded goal, but the Black Bears couldn’t get the equalizer and Jimmy Doyle scored into an empty net with 10 seconds remaining.
The Black Bears attempted 92 shots to Bentley’s 33 but the Falcons blocked 27 of them and 20 more missed the net.
Salo opened the scoring by flipping home the rebound of an Oskar Bakkevig shot that hit the post.
Bakkevig was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for hitting from behind later in the first period but UMaine couldn’t capitalize and a goal by Scott was overturned by the referees for goaltender interference.
Leyh was set up by Nich Bochen and Arlo Merritt for his power play goal before Scott took a pass from Brandon Holt and beat Hasley.
Duerr scored off a rush as Ryan Upson slid him a pass and he one-timed it past UMaine sophomore goalie Albin Boija.
Scott scored his sixth goal in his last five games off a two-on-one with Nolan Renwick as he converted Renwick’s pass to get the Black Bears within one.
The Black Bears pulled Boija in favor of an extra attacker but they couldn’t tie it up.
Boija finished with 15 stops.
UMaine went 1-for-6 on the power play while Bentley went 1-for-2.
UMaine will return to Alfond Arena to host defending national champion Denver on Friday and Saturday nights at 6 and 6:30. Bentley will also play on Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (5 p.m.) as the Falcons will visit Niagara University (N.Y.).
Correction: University of Maine hockey left winger Thomas Freel (26) was misidentified in a photo caption. He was listed as Kolby Amici. Amici wears No. 26 for Bentley.