ORONO, Maine -- Brian Flynn's (Lynnfield, Mass.) hat trick propelled the University of Maine men's ice hockey team to a 4-1 victory over UMass on Sunday afternoon at Alfond Arena. The Black Bears improve to 8-4-4 on the season with the win and 6-3-2 in Hockey East play.
Chase Langeraap got the scoring started when he put the Minutemen up 1-0, 14:34 into the first period. UMass shuffled the puck quickly through the Maine zone as Conor Sheary quickly tapped a pass from the bottom of the right circle, through the slot to Langeraap. Langeraap one-timed the puck into the back of the Black Bear net as Maine goaltender Dan Sullivan (York, Pa.) tried to move across the crease but was a tad too late.
The Black Bears would tie things up 5:33 into the second period when Brian Flynn notched his seventh goal of the season. The play started when Nick Pryor (Woodbury, Minn.) rifled a slap shot from the point that was blocked in front by a UMass defender. The defender fell on the puck in the slot. Flynn was able to dig the puck free and one timed past UMass goaltender Paul Dainton to Dainton's blocked side. Robby Dee (Plymouth, Minn.) began the play when he got the puck to Pryor. For Pryor, it was his first career point.
The Black Bears would take advantage of a UMass interference call as Flynn notched his second goal of the game to put Maine up 2-1, 2:24 into the third period. Skating with the man advantage, Pryor would regroup things for Maine and hit Gustav Nyquist (Malmo, Sweden) with a pass. Nyquist would carry the puck out of the Maine zone and hit Flynn with a pass at center ice. Flynn would streak into the UMass zone and unleash a wrist shot that lit the lamp for the Black Bears.
Adam Shemansky (Robbinsville, N.J.) extended the Maine lead to 3-1 when he tipped in a shot from the point for his second goal of the season. Kyle Beattie (Avondale, Ariz.) sent a pass back to the blueline to Brice O'Connor (Londonderry, N.H.). O'Connor settled the puck before blasting a slap shot towards the Minutemen net. Shemansky was stationed in front of the net and was able to redirecting the shot by Dainton and into the back of the net.
Flynn would pick up his hat trick goal with 2:04 remaining in the third period. The play developed after Dainton kicked aside a shot by Joey Diamond (Long Beach, N.Y.). Robby Dee (Plymouth, Minn.) would gather the rebound and send the puck behind the Minuteman net to Diamond. Diamond would send a pass from the back of the net right onto Flynn's stick on the left post. Flynn would tap the puck into the back of the net, putting Maine up 4-1
Sullivan picks up his fifth win of the season and his fourth win in league play as he stands at 5-3-1 overall and 4-2-1 in Hockey East action. Sullivan made 21 saves in the win while Dainton made 28 stops for UMass. Dainton's record falls to 3-4-2 on the season.
The Black Bears outshot UMass 32-22 and went 1-4 on the power play while killing off all four of the Minutemen's power play opportunities.
Maine returns to the ice after the semester break when they travel to Estero, Fla. to take part in the annual Florida College Classic where they will face-off against Miami on Dec. 29. UMass returns to action when they travel to take on Wisconsin on Dec. 30 and 31.