ORONO – The University of Maine men’s hockey team has struggled to find the back of opposing nets all season long.

The scoring touch may be finally coming around.

For the first time this season, the Black Bears have scored more than three goals in consecutive games as they scored in bunches Friday night to subdue the visiting University of Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks 6-2 at Alfond Arena. Maine had beaten UMass in Amherst 5-1 last Saturday night.

Maine extended its season-high winning streak to four games and improved its record to 14-9-6. The Bears are 9-6-4 in Hockey East.

UMass-Lowell had its three-game winning streak snapped as the River Hawks fell to 15-12-3, 8-9-3 in Hockey East. The two teams play again Saturday night.

Maine expanded its unbeaten streak against the River Hawks to 14 games (13-0-1).

“Maine outworked us and outplayed us in every aspect of the game,” said River Hawk coach Tim Whitehead, whose team was held to 14 shots on goal. “Maine’s did an excellent job defensively.”

Maine outshot UMass-Lowell 39-14.

Doug Janik, Maine’s junior defenseman and co-captain, said, “The forwards were coming back so the defensemen could step up [on the UMass-Lowell forwards] and we created offense off our defense.”

Maine junior right wing Niko Dimitrakos added, “Our team defense has been coming along really well. We stress that a lot. But now we’re also getting some offensive production. We’re a lot more confident [offensively].”

Maine scored three times in a span of 4:14 late in the first period to take a 3-1 lead into the first period intermission.

Martin Kariya snapped a 10-game goal-scoring drought with a power-play goal to open the scoring, Michael Schutte scored his fourth goal in two games thanks to a fluke bounce, and Dimitrakos answered Brad Rooney’s goal for UML by scoring off the ensuing center ice faceoff.

Ed McGrane’s second-period power-play goal closed the gap to one just 1:27 into the second period, but Robert Liscak answered on the power play 1:13 later and Lucas Lawson executed a beautiful move on a breakaway 1:01 later to up the lead to 5-2.

Gray Shaneberger ended a 19-game goal-scoring drought with an insurance tally in the third period.

Kariya’s game-opening goal came off the rebound of a Dimitrakos shot.

“Niko had a couple of shots. I think his first one was blocked, but the second one was kicked out and it came right to me,” said Kariya, who had the whole open side to UML goalie Jimi St. John’s right.

Schutte’s goal came from behind the net when he and teammate Todd Jackson were fighting for the puck.

“Todd chased their defenseman and he panicked a little. The puck hit my stick, popped in the air, and hit St. John’s back and dropped in. It’s the luckiest goal I’ve ever scored,” said Schutte.

Rooney capitalized on an errant pass by Maine defenseman A.J. Begg. The puck landed on Rooney’s stick in the low slot and he made a quick move before snapping a 10-footer through Maine goalie Matt Yeats’ pads.

But Dimitrakos answered off the ensuing faceoff.

“We work on that in practice. It’s a shock faceoff. Chris [Heisten] touches the puck back and ties up the center. I got around their defenseman, put the puck through his stick, and then took a quick shot to the far corner,” said Dimitrakos, who beat St. John over the glove.

“I watch [Detroit’s] Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov use that move all the time,” added Dimitrakos.

McGrane scored a nice goal off a Ron Hainsey pass as he one-timed a wrist shot through Yeats’ pads from the right circle, but Liscak scored a backbreaking goal off a Francis Nault pass.

“I came out from behind the net and nobody took me. Francis put the puck right on my stick,” said Liscak, who simply had to direct it into the half-empty net.

“Francis made a great play. Even if I hadn’t seen him, the puck would have hit my stick and gone in,” added Liscak.

Lawson then came off the bench on a line change behind the River Hawk defense, accepted a Janik pass, and went in alone on St. John.

After making several fakes, he roofed a backhander into the short side.

The River Hawks had very few good scoring chances the rest of the way as the Bears bottled them up in the neutral zone and made it difficult for them to dump the puck into the offensive zone.

Shaneberger capped the scoring with a 20-foot wrist shot coming off the left wing that beat St. John between the pads.

Dimitrakos and Schutte had an assist each to go with their goals and Nault had two assists.

Rooney had an assist to go with his goal.

Black Bears 6, River Hawks 2

UMass-Lowell (15-12-3) 1 1 0 ? 2

Maine (14-9-6) 2 3 1 ? 6

First period ? 1. Maine, Kariya 7 (Dimitrakos, Nault), 14:45 (pp); 2. Maine, Schutte 8 (Jackson, Metcalf), 17:40; 3. UML, Rooney 12 (unassisted), 18:52; 4. Maine, Dimitrakos 8 (Heisten), 18:59. Penalties: Maine, Reimann, high sticking, 5:52; UML, Domish, delay of game, 8:43; UML, Domish, charging, 13:55; UML, Gustafson, holding, 14:34; UML, Slonina, hitting from behind, 19:58; Maine, Jackson, slashing, 19:58

Second period ? 5. UML, McGrane 12 (Hainsey, Rooney), 1:27 (pp); 6. Maine, Liscak 6 (Nault, Schutte), 2:40 (pp); 7. Maine, Lawson 7 (Janik), 3:41. Penalties: Maine, Begg, hooking, 1:16; UML, St. John (served by Schomogyl), 1:42; UML, Hay, obstruction interference, 14:00

Third period ? 8. Maine, Shaneberger 3 (Loya, Begg), 8:02. Penalties: UML, Domish, elbowing, 5:29; Maine, Turgeon, holding, 8:34; UML, Gustafson, slashing, 12:34; Maine, Dimitrakos, hitting after the whistle, 13:31; UML, Rouleau, hitting after the whistle, 13:31; UML, Tolan, cross checking, 15:17; Maine, Lawson, roughing, 17:10; UML, Hainsey, slashing, 17:10; UML, Schomogyl, slashing, 20:00; Maine, Reimann, slashing, 20:00

Shots on goal: UML 4-7-3?14; Maine 12-10-17?39

Goaltenders: UML, St. John (39 shots-33 saves); Maine, Yeats (14-12)

Power-play opportunities: UML 1 of 3; Maine 2 of 8

High-percentage scoring attempts: UML 4-6-2?12; Maine 8-7-10?25

Attendance: 5,437