BOSTON – The University of Maine Bears had to grind it out against tight-checking Northeastern at cozy Matthews Arena here Friday night, but they showed that they are capable of doing so.

The Bears received superb, 31-save goaltending from Mike Dunham and goals from seven different players en route to a 7-1 victory over the Huskies.

Maine extended its regular-season unbeaten streak to 43 games (40-0-3) and is 30-0-3 in its last 33 games against Hockey East opponents, including last year’s HE playoffs.

Maine is 29-0-2 on the season, 16-0-1 in Hockey East. Northeastern fell to 9-17-1, 5-12-1.

The two teams meet again on Saturday at 7 p.m.

First-period goals by Peter Ferraro and Jim Montgomery gave Maine a lead it would never relinquish. Justin Tomberlin scored the only goal of the second period to make it 3-0. It was Tomberlin’s first goal in seven games.

Chuck Texeira’s first career goal and a Patrice Tardif score made it 5-0 in the third period before Darryl MacNair snapped Dunham’s shutout bid at the 9:57 mark.

Mike Latendresse and Paul Kariya added insurance goals. Kariya’s goal, coming with 3:40 remaining, extended his point-scoring streak to 25 games.

“We got one step closer to clinching our first goal of winning the Hockey East regular-season championship,” said Montgomery. “That’s all that matters. Dunham played a great game. He came up big when he had to. He and Garth (Snow) are the biggest part of our team.”

Dunham has now extended his unbeaten streak to 24 games (23-0-1).

“He’s the premier goalie in the league,” said NU Coach Ben Smith.

Dunham made 17 Grade-A saves among his 31.

Peter Ferraro opened the scoring at the 5:32 mark when he took a pass from behind the net from brother Chris and snapped a low 16-footer past NU goalie Mike Veisor.

“I actually fanned on the shot,” said Ferraro, who got enough wood on the puck to find the far side.

Montgomery made it 2-0 with a nice rush off a Matt Martin pass. He beat a Northeastern defenseman wide down the right wing, cut around Veisor and lifted a backhander into the open net.

“I flipped the puck past their defenseman, and when he went to check me with his stick, I pushed his stick away and he lost his momentum,” said Montgomery. “I saw the goalie was out, so I went around him.”

Dunham preserved the 2-0 lead by making a nice left pad stop on Jason Melong’s point-blank tip off a Jordon Shields pass. Melong fired the rebound over the net.

Later in the period, he got his blocker on Danny McGillis’ 12-foot backhander.

Early in the second period, Mike Collett hit the short side post after pulling the puck around Dunham.

Shortly afterward, Peter Ferraro set up Tomberlin’s goal by going to the net hard off a faceoff and getting off a quick shot. The rebound came to Tomberlin in the slot and he pushed a soft shot through the pads of Veisor.

“That goal hurt us,” said Smith.

Texeira’s goal to open the third period came on a two-on-one with Brad Purdie. Texeira carried the puck down the left wing and snapped a 20-foot wrist shot past Veisor, using Purdie as a decoy.

It was junior Texeira’s eighth career game.

Tardif iced the win with a nice move, breaking down the left wing as he pulled the puck back and then released a quick wrist shot that beat Veisor.

MacNair capitalized on a two-on-one with Shields by tapping the puck into the open net, but Latendresse knocked the puck into the open net off a Tardif pass and Kariya converted off a Montgomery pass.

Veisor finished with 32 saves.

“We had as many chances as they did, but we didn’t capitalize, and they seemed to put their chances in the net,” said NU senior right winger Dino Grossi. “Dunham made a couple of really big saves.”

While the Black Bears had three of seven in the power-play department, UM held the Huskies scoreless on the power play, killing off all eight.

Martin and Chris Ferraro had three assists apiece for Maine. Montgomery, Tardif, and Peter Ferraro had a goal and an assist apiece. Dave MacIsaac had two assists.

Black Bears 7, Huskies 1

Maine 2 1 4 – 7 Northeastern 0 0 1 – 1

First Period – 1. Maine, P. Ferraro 11 (C. Ferraro, Murphy), 5:32; 2. Maine, Montgomery 16 (Martin, MacIsaac), 10:00; Penalties – Maine, Montgomery, hooking, 12:26; Maine, Saunders, hooking, 17:37

Second Period – 3. Maine, Tomberlin 9 (P. Ferraro), 6:01; Penalties – UM, Martin, hooking, 1:10; NU, Parlon, roughing, 7:21; UM, Saunders, interference, 11:47; NU, Kellogg, hooking, 13:08; UM, P. Ferraro, interference, 14:38; UM, C. Ferraro, roughing, 20:00; NU Taylor, roughing, 20:00

Third Period – 4. Maine, Texeira 1 (Purdie, MacIsaac), 3:17; 5. Maine, Tardif 15 (Imes, Martin), 8:10; 6. NU, MacNair 6 (Shields), 9:57; 7. Maine, Latendresse 15 (Tardif, Martin), 16:13; 8. Maine, Kariya 19 (C. Ferraro, Montgomery) 16:20; Penalties – NU, Kellogg, elbowing, :07; UM, Tardif, roughing, 3:02; NU, Kelly, roughing, 3:02; UM, Texeira, hitting from behind, 4:50; UM, Texeira, hitting after whistle, 7:10; NU, Collett, hitting after whistle, 7:10; NU, Parlon, tripping, 7:10; UM, LaCouture, elbowing, 10-min. misconduct, 9:07; NU, Taylor, hitting from behind, 9:31; UM, P. Ferraro, holding, 14:01; NU, O’Connor, slashing, 14:35; NU, Grossi, slashing, 14:49; UM, Ingraham, slashing, 14:49; NU, MacNair, elbowing, 15:30; UM, Texeira, roughing, delay of game, 16:32; NU, McGillis, boarding, 19:24; NU, Taylor, game misconduct, 19:24; UM, Weinrich, hitting after whistle, 19:47; UM, Silverman, hitting after whistle, 19:47; NU, O’Connor, hitting after whistle, 19:47

Shots on goal: Maine 13-11-11-32; NU 12-8-11-31

Goaltenders: Maine, Mike Dunham; NU, Mike Veisor

Attendance: 1,530