BOSTON, Mass. - Sophomore Luke Popko scored 10 seconds into overtime to lift the Boston University men's ice hockey team to a 2-1 victory over visiting Maine on Friday evening at Agganis Arena. The win was the Terriers' third straight and it improved their record to 11-14-3 overall and 9-8-3 in Hockey East play. Maine falls to 8-16-3 with a 4-13-3 conference mark.
Click here for video highlights from the game
The Terriers overcame an early power-play goal by Maine by responding with their first shorthanded goal of the year. Neither team scored in the second or third period, but BU wasted little time in the extra session.
Sophomore Brian Strait corralled the puck on the opening faceoff of overtime and sent the puck deep into the Maine zone. Freshman Colin Wilson picked up the puck along the red line and slid it to the top of the crease, where Popko redirected it past Maine goaltender Ben Bishop for the winner.
Bishop was outstanding on the night for the Black Bears with a handful of highlight-reel saves among his 31 stops. Sophomore Brett Bennett recorded 17 saves in goal for the Terriers.
BU was whistled for the first penalty of the night just 49 seconds into the game and Maine took full advantage of it. On the power play, the Black Bears put four shots on goal with the final one crossing the goal line off the stick of senior Wes Clark, who scored his team-leading seventh goal of the year at 1:55. Classmate Travis Ramsey assisted on the play.
Bennett, however, stopped the final 13 shots he faced on the night and the Terriers knotted the game in the middle stages of the first with a shorthanded tally. Freshman Colby Cohen picked up a loose puck and the top of the BU zone and dropped it off for freshman Nick Bonino. Bonino set up junior Chris Higgins, who lifted the puck past Bishop near the left pipe at 11:14.
The Terriers, who are now undefeated in their last eight games against Maine (7-0-1), will look to sweep their season series with the Black Bears when the teams hit the ice at Agganis again on Saturday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on CN8.