UMaine squanders lead, ties Colgate> The Black Bears’ unbeaten streak is their longest since an 11-game skein during 1995-96

HARTFORD, Conn. – It wasn’t exactly the way the University of Maine men’s hockey team wanted to enter the Christmas break, but the Bears were still able to extend their unbeaten streak to nine games.

Maine, ranked fourth in three major national polls, squandered a 3-0 lead as Colgate scored three goals in a span of 9:40 late in the second period to forge a 3-3 overtime tie at the Hartford Civic Center Monday evening.

Maine is 11-1-3 overall, including a 6-0-3 mark over its last nine games. The Bears’ unbeaten streak is their longest since they strung together an 11-game skein (10-0-1) from Nov. 17, 1995, to Jan. 9, 1996.

Colgate, ranked from 10th, 11th, and 12th in the three polls, is 9-3-1 including an 8-1-1 record in its last 10 games.

Maine, which was without four regulars, received first-period goals from Matthias Trattnig and Dan Kerluke and a second-period score from Ben Guite to create its 3-0 lead.

Dan Wildfong jump-started the Red Raiders at the 9:14 mark of the second period, Chad MacDonald pulled Colgate within one on the power play at 16:54, and sophomore right wing Sean Nolan notched the equalizer with 1:06 remaining in the period.

Maine junior goalie Alfie Michaud finished with 27 saves while Colgate freshman netminder Jason Lefevre stopped 26 shots.

Trattnig opened the scoring at the 5:38 mark of the first period when he pounced on a dump-in by Peter Metcalf and swatted the bouncing puck behind Lefevre to snap a nine-game, point-scoring drought.

Kerluke scored on a breakaway off a Niko Dimitrakos pass. It was Kerluke’s fourth goal in two games and fifth in his last four games. Sophomore left winger Kerluke has 10 goals on the season, matching his entire 1997-98 total.

Guite made it 3-0 4:49 into the second period, taking a Dimitrakos pass and beating Lefevre with a backhander. Junior center Guite now has two goals and two assists over his last three games after registering only one goal and two assists in his previous 12 games.

Maine’s Cory Larose and Steve Kariya had a chance to extend the lead, but failed to convert on a two-on-one and Lefevre made good saves on Kariya and Jason Vitorino before Wildfong broke through by taking an Etianne Morin pass and beating Michaud with a short side backhander.

That goal gave Colgate life and the Red Raiders dominated the second period to the tune of a 15-8 shots-on-goal margin.

MacDonald’s power-play goal came while Bear junior defenseman Robert Ek was serving his third minor penalty of the game. Michaud had made several stops before MacDonald knocked home a loose puck for his fourth power-play goal of the season and fifth overall.

Nolan’s third goal in his last three games came on a wrap-around.

Both teams had chances in the third period and overtime, but each goalie came up with game-saving denials.

Larose followed up a two-on-one featuring Kariya and Marcus Gustafsson with a shot from the slot that Lefevre was able to steer wide.

Freshman right wing Dimitrakos now has a goal and five assists in his last two games for Maine. Nolan had an assist to go with his goal for Colgate.

Colgate had 9:26 of power-play time in seven opportunities to Maine’s 2:24 over three power-play chances.

Black Bears 3, Raiders 3 (OT) Maine (11-1-3) 2 1 0 0 – 3 Colgate (9-3-1) 0 3 0 0 – 3

First period – 1. Maine, Trattnig 3 (Metcalf), 5:38; 2. Maine, Kerluke 10 (Dimitrakos, Ek), 7:24. Penalties: Maine, Trattnig, interference, 8:08; Colgate, Wildfong, hooking, 8:22; Maine, Ek, roughing, 11:15; Colgate, Long, hooking, 14:01; Maine, Ek, holding, 15:33.

Second period – 3. Maine, Guite 3 (Dimitrakos), 4:49; 4. Colgate, Wildfong 4 (Morin), 9:14; 5. Colgate, MacDonald 4 (Johns, Nolan), 16:54, pp; 6. Colgate, Nolan 6 (Whitchurch, Holdridge), 18:54. Penalties: Maine, Vitorino, unsportsmanlike conduct, 9:56; Colgate, MacDonald, 9:56; Maine, Ek, holding, 15:52; Maine, Metcalf, unsportsmanlike conduct, 16:14; Colgate, Morin, unsportsmanlike conduct, 16:14; Maine, Metcalf, interference, 19:31.

Third period – No scoring. Penalties: Maine, Metcalf, tripping, 2:17; Maine, bench minor, too many men on the ice (served by Dimitrakos), 4:30; Colgate, Murphy, high-sticking, 5:08.

Shots on goal: Maine 10-8-7-4 – 29; Colgate 6-15-5-4 – 30

Goaltenders: Maine, Alfie Michaud; Colgate, Jason Lefevre

Power plays: Maine 0-3, Colgate 1-7

High-percentage scoring chances: Maine 5-5-5-3 – 18; Colgate 3-11-1-3 – 18