ORONO – Any uncertainty about the potential of the University of Maine hockey team this season evaporated into the rafters of Alfond Arena here Sunday night.

Backstopped by the superb goaltending of Blair Marsh and Blair Allison, the Black Bears turned in a spirited defensive performance that helped Maine battle to a 3-3 tie with the United States Olympic team.

Patrice Tardif and Justin Tomberlin scored third-period goals as Coach Shawn Walsh’s team stunned Team USA in front of 5,158 fans.

Maine, playing its first game of the season, showed the same determination that carried the Bears to the NCAA championship last season.

“It was exciting,” said Marsh, who played his first game for Maine after being redshirted last season.

“It’s exciting to go from Junior A, which nobody cares about, and the next game you play is the Olympic team. I’ve been waiting a year and a half to get a shot and to tie the Olympic team is pretty exciting.”

Marsh made 18 saves while playing the first two periods. Blair Allison blanked the Olympians with 11 saves in the third.

“Some questions got answered that hey, our goaltending’s fine,” Walsh said.

Maine’s victory came against the same Team USA that had beaten the NHL’s St. Louis Blues 4-3 one week ago. Walsh was pleasantly surprisedSt. Louis Blues 4-3 one week ago. Walsh was pleasantly surprised.

“After hearing the BU score (Team USA beat Boston University 8-0), I certainly thought that just keeping it close would be a moral victory,” Walsh said. “We accomplished what we wanted to, and we grew.”

Tomberlin was left unsatisfied.

“To be honest with you, I expected to win,” Tomberlin said. “I think they were ripe to lose a game.

“So we tied the Olympic team. It was great and we’ll celebrate, but the game meant nothing. It doesn’t give us any points. We’re 0-0.”

The tie was a major disappointment for the Olympians, now 12-8-3. Chris Imes, who left Maine to join Team USA, found it hard to take.

“We just got outhustled,” Imes said. “You could say we were really embarrassed about this. This is definitely a game we should win. We obviously had more talent. You’ve got to take your hat off to Coach Walsh and his great preparation.”

And, yes, the Olympians took the Bears a bit lightly.

“Even the guys who had been here thought we could roll right over them” Imes said. “We handled BU and they had all their same players. We thought we could do the same against Maine, but it’s obvious Maine’s at a different level than BU and BC (Boston College).”

Maine’s defensive effort keyed in on slowing up Team USA at center ice and keeping it from gaining the offensive zone.

The Bears cut the deficit to 3-2 just 49 seconds into the third period when Tardif poked home the rebound of a Jeff Tory second chance.

Tomberlin provided the tying tally with 1:28 remaining. Trevor Roenick whipped a pass from the right circle to Tomberlin, who slammed a shot past Snow and sent the 5,158 fans in attendance into a frenzy.

Snow was greeted with the cry of “sieve, sieve, sieve” by his former faithful when Maine took a 1-0 lead at 13:41 of the first period.

With Maine on the power play, Dave MacIsaac rushed down right wing and backhanded a centering pass that deflected off Mike Latendresse and through Snow’s pads.

Team USA evened things up at 17:14 when Jim Campbell took a pass from Jeff Lazaro, moved inside the blue line and rifled a low shot that beat Marsh and snuck inside the left post.

The Black Bears’ penalty-killing skills were severely tested in the first period. Maine thwarted three Team USA power plays, surviving penalties to Jason Mansoff and Tomberlin that came nearly back to back starting at the 4:49 mark.

Marsh made five saves during the same span, including a pad save of a Jeff Lazaro blast from 20 feet. Then, at the 6:32 mark, with Maine on the power play, Peter Ferraro broke in alone, only to have Marsh knock awaplay, Peter Ferraro broke in alone, only to have Marsh knock away his backhander.

Team USA dominated the second-period action, affording the Bears only four shots on goal. Jim Storm snapped the 1-1 tie 10:28 into the second when he moved across the slot and snapped a shot between the pads of Marsh, who was late coming across to the left side.

The Olympians made it 3-1 at 14:57 when former Black Bear Matt Martin took a feed from Peter Ferraro in the high slot and lifted a wrist shot over the sprawling Marsh.

Maine missed a couple of high-percentage chances as Tim Lovell moved in alone but shot a backhander wide of the net. Snow thwarted another opportunity when he stopped a Tomberlin slap shot from point-blank range.

Maine 3, Team USA 3

First Period – 1. Maine, Latendresse (MacIsaac, Kariya) 13:41; 2. USA, Campbell (Lazaro, Martin) 17:14; Penalties – Maine, Mansoff, high sticking, 4:49; Maine (served by Tomberlin), too many men on ice, 7:17; Maine, Latendresse, slashing, 10:00; USA, Lilley, charging, 12:01

Second Period – 3. USA, Storm (Roberts, Campbell) 10:28; 4. USA, Martin (P. Ferraro, Johnson) 14:57; Penalties – Maine, Saunders, interference, 3:00; USA, Hendrickson, roughing, 3:00; USA, Hauer, holding, 7:33

Third Period – 5. Maine, Tardif (Tory, Kariya) 0:49; 6. Maine, Tomberlin (Tory, Roenick) 18:32; Penalties – USA, Richards, interference, 1:28; Maine, Tardif, high sticking, 2:22; USA, Campbell, cross-checking, 8:19; USA, Lilley, high-sticking (10 min.), 13:40; Maine, Lovell, high-sticking, 13:40; USA, Richards, interference, 17:44

Goaltenders – Maine, Blair Marsh and Blair Allison; USA, Garth Snow

Shots on goal – Maine 13-4-16-33; Team USA 10-11-11 – 32

Attendance – 5,158