ORONO, Maine. – Take that, history.
The Massachusetts hockey team walked into Alfond Arena last night having never won in a visit Maine and having yet to win a Hockey East quarterfinals game. The Minutemen walked out on the top end of a wild 5-3 victory over Maine in the first game of the best of three series.
“Obviously it was a real intense affair. We had to weather the storm early when they got that five-on-three goal,” head coach Don Cahoon said. “We were able to get that goal right back, and even get a bigger second goal to get that lead. That lead gave us a big advantage going through the rest of the game not coming from behind, but playing out in front.”
Stephen Jacobs notched the gamewinner at 1:54 of the third period. Tim Vitek left the puck for Jacobs on the far boards and fired an odd-angle wrist shot that beat Frank Doyle (13 saves) between the pads to give UMass a 4-3 lead. That goal came just 18 seconds after Gray Shaneberger knotted the game at three and brought the Maine crowd back into the game. It was Jacobs’s first career goal and just his third career point.
“Tim Vitek made an unbelievable play along the boards,” Jacobs said. “I was just trying to get it on net and get a rebound.”
“That goal was huge, because it gave us a life,” Cahoon said.
Along with Jacobs, unlikely scorers included sophomore defenseman Dusty Demianiuk, who scored his first goal of the season, and Peter Trovato, who posted his fifth of the year on a nifty move that chased Jimmy Howard (nine saves) from the contest.
“We were real pleased just getting the puck to the cage, getting a little puck luck, and that’s what it’s going to take,” Cahoon said. “You can’t get through a playoff series depending on just your key scorers. It’s the most unlikely guys out there that can make the difference.”
The Minutemen posted their 16th four-goal output of the season and won for the 16th time. Greg Mauldin tacked on an empty net goal to finish off the Black Bears.
Maine opened the scoring at 8:07, courtesy a five-on-three power play. With sophomore Jeff Lang and freshman Matt Anderson in the box, Maine used good puck work to break an 11-game scoring drought for Martin Kariya. Kariya took a feed from Lucas Lawson in front of the net and deposited it past Winer.
But the Minutemen answered back with a pair of first period goals on unlikely circumstances. Matt Anderson made it 2-1 on a backhander from 35 feet out that handcuffed Howard and found its way to the back of the net. Just over a minute and a half earlier, Demianiuk put home a wrister from the point off a Maine stick that bounced over Howard’s glove to open the UMass scoring.
The Maroon and White took a two-goal lead early in the second when Josh Hanson stole the puck from Travis Wight behind the net and fed in front to Peter Trovato, who brought the puck to his forehand and beat Howard blocker side. That chased No. 33 from the net, having only saved eight of the 11 Maroon and White shots he faced on the night. Frank Doyle then came in to relieve the freshman and made all eight saves in a solid second period.
The Minutemen and Black Bears will duke it out in the second game of the series tonight in Orono.