DURHAM, N.H. - Carter Hutton recorded 39 saves to backbone the University of Massachusetts-Lowell men's ice hockey team to Friday night's 2-2 tie against sixth-ranked University of New Hampshire in Hockey East action at the Whittemore Center.
UNH, now 4-0-1 in the last five meetings against the RiverHawks, is 4-1-1 overall this season and 2-1-1 in Hockey East. UMass-Lowell moves to 2-2-2, 0-2-2.
UNH took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission on a goal by Paul Thompson (Derry, N.H.) at 3:34. Phil DeSimone (East Amherst, N.Y.) carried the puck from behind the net at the right post and, as the puck came off his stick, Hutton struggled to cover the loose puck through the mass of bodies in front of the net. Danny Dries (Lake Orion, Mich.), positioned outside the top of the crease, pushed the puck to the left, where Thompson was able to reach in and sweep a shot into the open left side of the net.
Thompson generated another dangerous chance seven minutes into the game when he charged between a pair of defenders to a loose puck in the slot. With Hutton also charging out from the net, Thompson's lunging effort knocked the puck off Hutton's stick and into his midsection as he backpedaled towards the net.
The RiverHawks gained momentum in the latter stages of the opening stanza and Ian Schaser's wrist shot from the left faceoff circle dot caromed off UNH goalie Brian Foster (Pembroke, N.H.; 29 saves) and the right post.
UMass-Lowell continued that momentum into the second period and struck at 1:48 and 6:04 to take a 2-1 lead, but the Wildcats scored 36 seconds later to even the score heading into the second intermission.
Jonathan Maniff gathered Ryan Blair's long outlet pass through the neutral zone behind UNH's defense, skated from the top-right of the slot to the low left while fending off a defenseman and lifted a close-range shot into the upper-left corner of the goal.
Schaser put the visitors in front, 2-1, when he jammed home the puck at the right post. The sequence initiated with Barry Goers' shot from the right point that sailed wide of the cage on the near side. Chris Auger collected the puck off the rebound behind the net and quickly found Schaser at the right post.
Brad Flashains (Glendale, Ariz.) pulled the 'Cats even at 6:40 when he finished off a sequence of quick passes. Jerry Pollastrone (Revere, Mass.) moved the puck from the right side of the neutral zone up to the right point, where Peter LeBlanc (Hamilton, Ontario) centered the puck to the slot and Flashains fired a one-timer into the net.
UNH's Thomas Fortney (Webster Grove, Mo.) was denied on a shorthanded bid at 13:30 when his shot from the slot caromed off the right post.
Foster then turned aside Kory Falite on a wraparound attempt at the right post and immediately slid to the top of the crease to deny Ben Holmstrom in front.
In the scoreless third, the 'Cats generated a pair of dangerous scoring chances midway through the frame when Bobby Butler (Marlboro, Mass.) fired a shot from the left faceoff circle wide of the cage and Pollastrone's bid through traffic from the same area was snared by Hutton's glove.
With under three minutes remaining in regulation, LeBlanc's centering pass from the right corner was redirected in front by Pollastrone, but Hutton slid to his right to make the save moments later, Matt Fornataro (Calgary, Alberta) had a chance from just outside the right post that was enveloped by Hutton.
UMass-Lowell recorded a 3-2 shot advantage in the five-minute overtime session after being outshot 38-17 in regulation.
New Hampshire returns to action Nov. 10 (7 p.m.) at home against Boston College. Fans can watch the game, which will be aired on NHPTV (Ch. 11), online at UNHwildcats.tv.