ORONO – University of Maine sophomore center Martin Robitaille has always been unselfish with the puck, too unselfish at times.

Maine Coach Shawn Walsh and Robitaille’s father, Yvon, kept trying to get him to shoot more and he finally did so on Saturday night.

The result was four first-period goals on five attempted shots as Maine dealt the University of Lowell a 16-0 drubbing that sent the BeaFriday’s 5 p.m. Hockey East Tournament semifinal at the Alfond Arena.

Maine swept the best-of-three series from Lowell and won’t know next Friday’s opponent until Monday night.

There were 25 league tournament single-game or two-game records (team and individual) broken and another was tied in this matchup. Robitaille set seven HE tourney records including most power play goals in a game (3); most goals in a period, and fastest opening goal (44 seconds). In addition, there were five UM school team records snapped: most goals, assists (27), points (43), power play goals (8) and winning margin.

Maine went 8-for-10 on the power play.

Robitaille’s hat trick was his first as a collegian.

Robitaille scored the game-opening goal on his first shift and added another on the power play just 1:47 later. His third goal followed a Brian Bellefeuille goal and came at the 8:35 mark and he notched his fourth on the power play at 19:22 to cap Maine’s seven-goal first period.

In between Robitaille’s third and fourth goals were power-play goals by Brian Downey and Randy Olson.

“My dad’s been telling me that Brett Hull (St. Louis Blues center) shoots all the time and doesn’t look (before he shoots) and he’s got 62 goals,” said Robitaille. “Coach Walsh has been telling me all season to shoot more. That’s been one of my weaknesses. I try to do fancy plays instead of shooting.”

“I was ready to play tonight and after my first shot went in, I said `Why not shoot?’,” said Robitaille. “It’s especially important in the playoffs because you usually don’t have much time to stickhandle. You have to make quick plays. So if you get a chance, you have to shoot.”

Robitaille’s first goal came about when Jim Montgomery fed it behind the net to Brian Downey, who made a quick pass to Robitaille in front.

“I one-timed it, it hit the post (on the short side) and went in,” said Robitaille.

His second goal came off a Jean-Yves Roy rebound.

“I had the whole net to shoot at,” said Robitaille.

After Bellefeuille’s 12-foot turnaround goal, Jim Burke set up Robitaille alone in front of Lowell goalie Mark Richards and Robitaille converted with backhander after a nifty fake.

Downey chipped in a Montgomery pass and Olson converted a Montgomery pass with a 25-foot drive before Robitaille one-timed a cross-ice pass from Burke to make it 7-0.

John Massara, Mike Barkley, Scott Pellerin and Justin Tomberlin scored second-period goals at the expense of Lowell back-up goalie Garry Scott and the third period featured goals from Bellefeuille, Kent Salfi, Massara, Christian Lalonde and Tomberlin. Maine’s third and fourth lines played most of the third period.

Bear senior goalie Scott King made 21 saves to register his first career shutout in his 106th game. Maine, now 30-8-2, outshot the 13-20-2 Chiefs 42-21.

Maine 7 4 5 – 16 Lowell0 0 0 – 0

First period – 1. Maine, Robitaille 16 (Downey, Montgomery), :44; 2. Maine, Robitaille 17 (Roy, Carney), 2:31; 3. Maine, Bellefeuille 11 (Salfi), 6:30; 4. Maine, Robitaille 18 (Burke), 8:35; 5. Maine, Downey 10 (Montgomery, Carney), 17:00; 6. Maine, Olson 15 (Montgomery), 17:12; 7. Maine, Robitaille 19 (Burke, Carney), 19:22. Penalties – Lowell, Smallwood, late hit, 2:14; Lowell, Stevens, high sticking, 7:43; Maine, Roy, high sticking, 7:43; Lowell, Wenham, holding, 12:41; Maine, Bellefeuille, hitting from behind, 13:26; Maine, Tepper, roughing, 13:26; Lowell, Flynn, hitting from behind, 13:26; Lowell, LeBrasseur, roughing, 13:26; Lowell, Wenham, elbowing, 14:41; Lowell, Meehan, 16:18; Maine, Pellerin, late hit, 16:18; Lowell, Gatti, hitting from behind, 16:45; Lowell, Ablitt, hitting from behind, 17:42.

Second period – 8. Maine, Massara 1 (Tomberlin, Tepper), 7:30; 9. Maine, Barkley 10 (Scremin), 18:01; 10. Maine, Pellerin 21 (Olson, Roy), 18:24; 11. Maine, Tomberlin 8 (Massara), 19:02. Penalties – Maine, Barkley, holding, 1:09; Maine, Tepper, cross checking, 4:50; Lowell, Scott, slashing (served by LeBrasseur), 4:50; Lowell, Stevens, hooking and 10-minute misconduct, 4:58; Lowell, Parsons, hitting from behind, 9:40; Maine, Lalonde, tripping, 9:51; Maine, Bellefeuille, slashing, 15:37; Lowell, Parsons, tripping, 16:32; Lowell, Wenham, tripping, 17:31; Maine, Montgomery, tripping, 19:40.

Third period – 12. Maine, Bellefeuille 12 (Barkley, Salfi), 5:30; 13. Maine, Salfi 6 (Bellefeuille, Barkley), 6:01; 14. Maine, Massara 2 (Tomberlin, Lalonde), 9:22; 15. Maine, Lalonde 2 (Roy, Pellerin), 12:18; 16. Maine, Tomberlin 9 (Massara, Tepper), 19:23. Penalties – Maine, Tepper, interference, 13:03; Maine, bench minor for too many men on the ice (served by Tepper), 15:55; Lowell, B. Seabury, double minor for roughing, 18:42.

Shots on goal: Maine 19-11-12 – 42; Lowell 7-8-6 – 21

Goaltenders: Maine, Scott King; Lowell, Mark Richards and Garry Scott

Attendance: 3,650 (turnstile count)