ORONO – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute needed a boost of confidence after an inconsistent 3-3 start to its hockey season.

Despite going up against two Top-5 teams, the Engineers found what they were looking for at the Dexter Hockey Classic.

Xavier Majic scored the game-winning goal with 13:44 gone in the third period Saturday night, lifting RPI to a 5-4 victory over the University of Maine at Alfond Arena.

Coach Buddy Powers’ 5-3 Engineers returned to Troy, N.Y., with the Dexter Classic title and victories over Maine and Bowling Green, the Nos. 2 and 5 teams in the country, respectively.

“To come up here and get two wins against two opponents that had real good records and were both playing well is a good sign for our club,” Powers said. “The kids really feel good about themselves right now.”

RPI senior goaltender Neil Little was chosen the tourney Most Valuable Player, making 42 saves against the Black Bears after beating Bowling Green with a 41-save performance Friday night.

RPI sophomore center Bryan Richardson and Engineers senior defenseman Brad Layzell also earned all-tournament honors. Sophomore forward Paul Kariya and junior defenseman Dave MacIsaac of Maine were named to the squad, as were Bowling Green senior forward Brian Holzinger and Illinois-Chicago freshman goaltender Paul Spencer.

Little enabled the Engineers to stay close early, keeping Maine at bay while stopping 17 shots in the first period and 15 more in the second. The Bears, now 7-2, had lots of chances, but couldn’t convert.

“I’m not a real flashy goaltender, but I just try to get the job done,” Little said. “We came in here and beat two top-quality clubs. That definitely is a boost to our egos and our confidence.”

Maine got the better of the action and scoring opportunities in the third and tied it at 4-4 with 5:32 gone. Trevor Roenick followed up a nice rush on goal by Dave MacIsaac, finding the loose puck to the right of Little and firing it in.

However, Majic’s nifty goal eight minutes later gave RPI the winning edge. The senior forward got past Maine forward-turned-defenseman Justin Tomberlin and swooped in down the left wing.

Majic deked Maine goalie Blair Allison to his right, then flicked a backhander high into the lefthand side of the net.

“The defenseman tried to play the puck and I went around him,” Majic said. “I just went to my backhand and got it upstairs. That’s my bread and butter move.”

Maine Coach Shawn Walsh marveled at his team’s tenacity, considering its defensive setbacks. Jacque Rodrigue went out with a leg injury in the first period and did not return, leaving the Bears with four regulars and Tomberlin.

“We played well enough to win it. That’s what’s disheartening,” Walsh said. “When you get 46 shots on goal, you’re going to win a lot of games. I love the way we competed tonight.”

Bears junior defenseman Andy Silverman conveyed the team’s attitude toward the contest.

“They had a good goaltender and things just weren’t going in,” he said. “The work ethic was there tonight. RPI was a damned good team. I don’t feel we have to look down after a game like this.”

The Bears jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 4:34 of the first when Mike Latendresse scored off the rebound of a Dave MacIsaac blast from the right point. Maine made it 2-0 at 16:15 as Barry Clukey took a Trevor Roenick feed from behind the net and ripped a six-footer between Little and the left post.

The tally came with one second remaining on the second of two concurrent cross-checking penalties levied to Layzell. Maine had come up short in the previous 7:58, during which the Bears had been on a continuous power play, including a couple of brief 5-on-3s.

The Engineers came back 32 seconds later with Andy Silverman in the box for interference. Jeff Brick snapped the rebound of a Richardson shot past Allison with 2:40 left in the first period.

The Engineers tied it up with another power-play goal at 4:47 of the second. Allison made a pair of tough saves on Brick and Richardson, before Tim Regan was finally able to snap in the second rebound.

RPI took the lead 8:34 into the second. Brick broke in from Allison’s left and forced Allison to play him, then shoveled the puck across to the right post, where Brad Layzell deposited it into the open net.

The Engineers capitalized on their momentum a little more than a minute later when Kelly Askew converted off a rebound of a Jeff Matthews backhander.

Maine cut the deficit to 4-3 at the 15:13 mark when Kariya passed the puck out from behind the net to Shermerhorn. He slipped a pass across the crease to Lovell, who scored from the right side.

The game may have been the final Alfond appearance by Kariya, who will join Team Canada in a couple of weeks. He said he will not decide about his future plans until later this winter.

“Prior to this weekend, I think it kind of occurred to me a little bit that it might be my last weekend at the Alfond,” Kariya said. “Once the game started, I wasn’t thinking about that.”

Engineers 5, Black Bears 4

(Saturday Night)

Maine 2 1 1 – 4 Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. 1 3 1 – 5

First Period – 1. Maine, Latendresse 7 (MacIsaac), 4:34; 2. Maine, Clukey 2 (Roenick, Lovell), 16:15; 3. RPI, Brick 6 (Richardson, Hamelin), 17:20; Penalties: RPI, Brick, hooking, 9:21; RPI, Rochon, hitting after whistle, 10:48; RPI, Layzell, cross-checking, 12:16; RPI, Layzell, cross-checking, 12:16; Maine, Silverman, interference, 16:48; Maine, Texeira, roughing, 18:11; Maine, Mahoney, roughing, 18:11; RPI, Cuthbert, hitting after whistle, 18:11; RPI, Pasco, roughing, 18:11

Second Period – 4. RPI, Regan 6 (Richardson, Brick), 4:47; 5. RPI, Layzell 1 (Brick, Regan), 8:34; 6. RPI, Askew (Matthews, Majic), 9:46; 7. Lovell 2 (Shermerhorn, Kariya), 15;13; Penalties: Maine, Tomberlin, high-sticking, 3:26; RPI, Perardi, hitting from behind, 11:32; RPI, Hamelin, hooking, 18:44

Third Period – 8. Maine, Roenick 2 (MacIsaac, Texeira), 5:32; 9. Majic 2 (Pasco, Layzell), 13:44; Penalties: Maine, Mahoney, holding, 11:35

Shots on goal: Maine 19-16-11-46; RPI 7-15-9-31

Goaltenders: Maine, Blair Allison; RPI, Neil Little