Box Score
DURHAM, N.H. – Junior goaltender Kevin Regan (South
Boston, Mass.), who was honored as National Player of
the Month for January, recorded a career-high 46 saves
to lead the top-ranked University of New Hampshire
men’s hockey team to Saturday night’s 2-1 Hockey East
victory against ninth-ranked University of Maine in
front of a raucous sellout crowd of 6,501 at the
Whittemore Center.
UNH improved to 20-5-1 overall and 15-3-1 in Hockey
East. Maine, which recorded a 4-2 victory vs. the
Wildcats Friday night at the Verizon Wireless Arena
(Manchester, N.H.), is now 17-8-2, 10-8-1. The ‘Cats
have won 20 games in the last 11 consecutive seasons.
Regan recorded double digits in saves all three
periods with 13 in the first, 18 in the second and 15
in the third. With the ‘Cats leading 2-1, seven of his
18 second-period saves came with a teammate serving a
five-minute major late in the stanza. Regan turned
aside the only Black Bears’ power-play shot on a late
third-period power play to once again preserve the
one-goal lead.
Maine pulled goaltender Dave Wilson in favor of an
extra skater with 1:35 remaining in the game and
called time out 18 seconds later. The Black Bears
could not penetrate UNH’s defense, however, until Mike
Hamilton’s shot from the slot was turned aside by
Regan with 40 seconds to play. Maine did not record
another shot the rest of the way.
Wilson recorded 21 saves, including 13 in the third
period, in 35:12 of relief action. Starting goalie Ben
Bishop exited with Maine leading at 3:13 of the second
period. He was shaken up in a collision with a UNH
player at 1:47 but remained in the game 86 seconds
longer.
Maine weathered the storm in the opening minutes,
then failed to score on a 66-second long 5-on-3
power-play opportunity, but the Black Bears took a 1-0
lead into the first intermission on Teddy Purcell’s
power-play goal at 12:24. Michel Leveille intercepted
an attempted clearing pass and from the right circle
found an unmarked Purcell at the right post.
In a second period in which Maine was whistled for
eight penalties for 16 minutes and UNH was called for
25 penalty minutes on 11 infractions, the Wildcats
scored a pair of power-play goals to take a 2-1 lead.
The ‘Cats tied the score, 1-1, at 7:06 on a shot by
Matt Fornataro (Calgary, Alberta) from the left
circle. Brad Flashains (Glendale, Ariz.), with the
pass from the right to the high slot to Craig Switzer
(Peachland, B.C.), who in turn moved the puck to
Fornataro, set up the tally.
Mike Radja (Yorkville, Ill.) scored what proved to be
the game-winning goal at 11:40. Fornataro’s initial
shot from the left circle was stopped by Wilson but
Jacob Micflikier (Winnipeg, Manitoba), standing at the
left post, poked the puck behind Wilson and Radja
swept it into an open net.
New Hampshire returns to action at home Feb. 9
against Merrimack College. Game time at the Whittemore
Center is 7 p.m.
