LOWELL, Mass. - Maine's Brian Flynn (Lynnfield, Mass.) netted two goals as the Black Bears roared to a 4-0 win over UMass Lowell in the Tsongas Center on Friday night. River Hawks' goaltender Marc Boulanger (Olds, Alta.) was terrific in net, recording his second career 40-save game.
The loss pushes UMass Lowell's record to 4-23-2 overall this season and 3-19-0 in conference play. Maine picks up an important victory, improving to 13-10-6 on the year and 10-8-4 in Hockey East action.
The Black Bears came out firing in the first period, outshooting the River Hawks 14-5. Boulanger was up to the task, holding the score sheet unblemished through the opening 20 minutes.
Maine kept up the pace in the second period and was rewarded at the 2:15 mark with a goal by Matt Mangene (Manorville, N.Y.). Mike Banwell (Scarborough, Ont.) fired a shot from the point and Mangene redirected the puck through Boulanger's five-hole.
The Black Bears expanded their lead late in the second with a power play goal from Jeff Dimmen (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Dimmen took a shot from the far boards and a River Hawk forward got a piece with his stick, sending the puck high over the goaltender's glove.
Maine put the game out of reach in the third, picking up a pair of goals from Flynn. Mangene set up Flynn from behind the net and the forward roofed the puck at 8:16 into the third. Just over six minutes later, Flynn buried a mid-ranged shot from Dimmen to secure the 4-0 victory.
In his first game back from injury since Oct. 29, River Hawk captain Scott Campbell (Navan, Ont.) took the ice for UMass Lowell. Campbell was strong in the loss; winning 9-of-13 face offs and nearly converted a first period breakaway.
For the night, Boulanger turned away 40-of-44 shots as he fell to 0-11-1 on the season. The rookie goaltender has recorded 30 or more saves in each of his last seven starts and has made 35 or more stops in five of his last six outings.
The Black Bears' Dan Sullivan (York, Pa.) secured a shutout, stopping 21 shots to improve to 5-6-1 overall.
The teams will have little time to rest, battling once more on Saturday night live on NESN at 7:30 p.m.