Morrison helps UM earn win

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ORONO – The University of Maine men’s hockey team was seriously challenged by a young, talented, and disciplined United States Under-18 Development Program team in the Black Bear Hockey Classic Friday night.

But three slump-riddled Bears scored goals and junior goalie Mike Morrison further improved his chances to earn more playing time as Maine triumphed 3-1 at Alfond Arena.

Maine will now face St. Lawrence, a 5-1 winner over Holy Cross, in Saturday’s 7 p.m. championship game. The consolation game will start at 4.

Tommy Reimann’s first-period power-play goal and Matthias Trattnig’s second-period unassisted score gave the Bears a 2-0 advantage, and Dan Kerluke added a third-period goal to supply some breathing room.

Boston University-bound defenseman Ryan Whitney, Team USA’s leading scorer, ended Morrison’s shutout bid with 3:05 left as his slapper from the right point squeezed between Morrison’s pads.

Morrison finished with 18 saves, including 10 Grade-A stops.

“I was happy with the way I played,” said Morrison. “I had fun out there. I came out [to cut down the angle] and I tried to stay compact.”

Two of his best saves came in the second period as he held his ground on Eric Nystrom’s one-timer from the low slot off a Dwight Helminen pass and then gloved Helminen’s 20-foot wrist shot, which deflected off a stick.

Maine sophomore center Marty Kariya said Morrison was “unbelievable” and added that he hopes Morrison gets to see some more action.

“He came up very big for them in the second period,” said Team USA coach and program director Mike Eaves. “He made some good glove saves. He covers a lot of the net.”

Team USA goalie Travis Weber also stood out as he turned aside 22 shots, including nine Grade-A attempts.

“Travis gave us a chance to win,” said Eaves.

The Bears hit four goalposts over the first two periods as Kariya, Robert Liscak, Doug Janik, and Michael Schutte clanged metal.

Kariya had three golden opportunities in the first six minutes, but Weber flashed out his glove and snared his point-blank wrister off a Liscak pass; he hit the crossbar off a two-on-none with Liscak, and shot a 14-foot rebound high.

Reimann, who had scored just one goal in his previous 12 games dating back to last season, opened the scoring with a screened slap shot from between the circles.

“I waited for their guy who was in front of me to make the first move. Then I went across to the middle and shot,” said Reimann, who had taken a point-to-point pass from Peter Metcalf.

Trattnig, who had scored just once in his previous 19 games, made it 2-0 just 1:46 into the second period off a neutral zone turnover.

He skated down the middle of the slot on a three-on-two and snapped a 30-foot wrist shot past Weber and off the post to the goalie’s left.

“They had a defenseman there, so I didn’t think the goalie would be able to see the shot,” said Trattnig, who feels the goals could help his confidence.

Kerluke, who hadn’t scored a goal in eight games, converted off a two-on-one with Brendan Donovan as he skated the puck around Weber and directed a backhander into the vacant net.

“Brendan faked a shot, so the goalie had to come over to him. Then Brendan slid it over to me so the goalie had to come over to me. I came back across. He had no chance,” said Kerluke, who added that he knows he and Trattnig are expected to produce and hopes this jumpstarts the both of them.

Whitney said it took his team a period to get used to the pace.

Eaves noted that Maine pressures teams all over the ice and the pace was the fastest his team has been subjected to this season.

“I thought we played pretty well after the first period,” said Whitney.

Maine killed off nine Team USA power plays before Whitney scored.

St. Lawrence University’s Fighting Saints, NCAA semifinalists a year ago, moved into the championship round of the Black Bear Hockey Classic as they received goals from five different players en route to a 5-1 triumph over Holy Cross in the first game.

Senior right wing Alan Fyfe and senior left wing Mike Gellard scored first-period goals 3:11 apart to break a scoreless tie and send the Saints to the title game.

The Saints broke the game open with goals just 40 seconds apart late in the second period by Matt Desrosiers (power play) and Jim Lorentz.

Pat Rissmiller scored for Holy Cross at the 5:46 mark of the third period, but Blair Clarance added an insurance goal later for the defending ECAC titlists and preseason choice to repeat in the coaches and media polls.

Desrosiers and Fyfe also had assists in the game for the 1-1 Saints, and Jeremy Symington made 18 saves.

Derek Cunha stopped 38 shots for the 0-1 Crusaders from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Bears 3, U.S. Under-18 1

Team USA (5-7-2) 0 0 1 – 1

Maine (1-1-1) 1 1 1 – 3

First period – 1. Maine, Reimann (Liscak, Metcalf), 8:34 (pp). Penalties: Maine, bench minor for protocol violation (late getting to the ice, served by Lawson), 0:00; USA, McConnell, interference, 8:07; Maine, Heisten, hooking, 12:31; USA, Pomaranski, interference, 18:08

Second period – 2. Maine, Trattnig (unassisted), 1:46. Penalties: USA, Lane, hooking, 5:59; USA, bench minor for too many men on the ice (served by Pomaranski), 7:59; Maine, Kerluke, cross-checking, 9:32; USA, Nystrom, hooking, 11:12; Maine, Liscak, cross-checking, 12:17; Maine, Turgeon, interference, 17:18

Third period – 3. Maine, Kerluke (Donovan, C. Heisten), 8:31; 4. USA, Whitney (Miller, Faldareau), 16:55 (pp). Penalties: USA, Gens, holding, 0:23; Maine, Clauson, holding, 3:05; Maine, Janik, slashing, 8:37; Maine, Loya, interference, 10:58; USA, Lane, slashing, 13:07; Maine, Donovan, slashing, 14:07; Maine, Clauson, hitting from behind, 16:11; USA, Miller, slashing, 19:07; Maine, Schutte, high sticking, 19:07

Shots on goal: USA 6-5-8-19; Maine 6-10-9-25

High-percentage scoring chances: USA 3-5-10-18; Maine 7-5-6-18

Power-play Opportunities: USA 1 of 10; Maine 1 of 7

Goalies: USA, Weber (25 shots-22 saves); Maine, Morrison (19-18)

Attendance: 5,153