ORONO, Maine -- Blaine Byron (Manotick, Ontario) broke a 2-2 deadlock at 16:27 of the third period with a power play goal to lead the University of Maine men's ice hockey team to a 4-2 win over #6 UMass Lowell on Sunday afternoon at Alfond Arena. Maine improves to 7-6-1 on the season and 4-2-1 in Hockey East play while UMass Lowell falls to 11-5-0, 4-2-0 in conference play. Maine's win snapped UMass Lowell's six game winning streak.
Maine jumped out to an early 2-0 lead just 10 minutes into the game behind a pair of power play goals. Brice O'Connor (Londonderry, N.H.) passed the puck to Cam Brown (Natick, Mass.) stationed just above the face-off cirlce. Brown took a few strides before firing the puck past UMass Lowell goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Eric Schurhamer (St. Paul, Minn.) also assisted on the goal which came just 5:52 into the first period.
Maine added to its lead with a second power play goal less than five minutes later. Devin Shore (Ajax, Ontario) found Ben Hutton (Prescott, Ontario) alone in the slot in transition. Shore got the puck to Hutton, who fired it past Hellebuyck, for his team-leading seventh goal of the season. Connor Leen (Chester, N.Y.) also picked up an assist on the goal.
UMass Lowell, however, pulled to within one goal at 14:34 when Derek Arnold fired home a wrap around attempt that Maine goalie Martin Ouellette (St.-Hippolyte, Quebec) was unable to control.
UMass Lowell tied the game at 2-2 just five second into a power play late in the second period when Ryan McGrath fired a shot from the right face-off circle past Ouellette at 19:24.
The game remained tied until late in the third period. Maine was awarded a power play with 5:15 remaining in regulation. Schurhamer fed the puck to Bryon, who fired a shot at Hellebuyck. The eventual game-winner beat Hellebuyck five hole. For Byron, it was his fifth goal of the season. Mark Anthoine (Lewiston, Maine) picked the the secondary assist on the goal.
Maine capped the scoring with an empty-net goal by Jon Swavely (Reading, Pa.) at 19:04 to earn the 4-2 win.
The Black Bears finished the game with a 38-28 edge in shots. Maine was 3-for-5 on the power play, while UMass Lowell converted on one of its two attempts.
Maine goalie Martin Ouellette stopped 26 shots en route to his seventh win of the season. He improves to 7-6-1. Hellebuyck made 34 saves and falls to 6-4-0.
The Black Bears return to action when they host America International College for a two-game set Dec. 13 and 14. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM both nights.