University of Maine junior center Max Scott had gone 13 games without a goal dating back to a two-goal game he had against Boston University on Nov. 1.
His drought ended in dramatic fashion as he scored with 1:46 remaining in overtime to give the Black Bears a wild 6-5 Hockey East victory over UMass Lowell at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Mass. on Saturday night.
UMaine improved to 14-9-2 overall and 8-7 in Hockey East while UMass Lowell fell to 9-16 and 5-10, respectively.
It was UMaine’s second overtime win over UMass Lowell as the Black Bears triumphed 5-4 in Portland on Dec. 10.
UMaine is now 4-0-2 in overtime this season.
Charlie Russell set up the game-winner with a pass to Scott, who one-timed it past goalie Samuel Richard. Brandon Holt also assisted on the goal.
Both teams were seemingly en route to a victory over the first two and a half periods.
Coming off a solid 2-0 win over UMass Lowell on Friday night, the Black Bears appeared on their way to a comfortable win as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead.
The River Hawks entered the weekend series ranked 51st among 63 Division I teams in scoring with an average of just 2.43 goals per game and they had been shut out in their previous two games.
But UMass Lowell scored five unanswered goals to take command of the game in the third period before UMaine rallied for two goals 2:50 apart midway through the period to tie it at 5-5.
First-period goals by junior center Sully Scholle and sophomore right wing Thomas Pichette and a second-period goal by freshman right wing Miguel Marques staked UMaine to its 3-0 lead.
But UMass Lowell stunned the Black Bears by scoring three goals in a span of 3:04 in the middle period to tie it up.
Sophomore right wing Chris Delaney made it 3-1 at the 10:48 mark to snap UML’s scoreless streak at 150 minutes and 48 seconds; junior defenseman Sean Kilcullen scored at the 12:45 mark and sophomore defenseman Dominic Payne tied it up at the 13:52 mark.
Sophomore right wing Lee Parks gave UMass Lowell its first lead of the weekend 1:25 into the third period and senior center Dillan Bentley made it 5-3 at the 9:32 mark. Bentley scored three seconds after the conclusion of a UML power play.
A pair of freshmen tied it for the Black Bears as left wing Will Gerrior scored 20 seconds after Bentley before defenseman Loic Usereau notched the equalizer with 7:18 left in regulation.
Freshman center Brock James from Falmouth assisted on both goals.