ST. PAUL, Minn. – The University of New Hampshire Wildcats, in the spirit of team unity, grew facial hair for the Hockey East and NCAA Tournaments.

Now they can shave.

Senior defenseman Peter Metcalf, junior center Robert Liscak and freshman left winger Paul Falco notched two goals and an assist apiece Thursday afternoon and the University of Maine scored the game’s last six goals to shock UNH 7-2 in an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal.

Maine, now 26-10-7, earned a berth in its fourth NCAA championship game. The Bears play the winner of the Minnesota-Michigan game played later Thursday night in Saturday’s 7 p.m. championship game at the Xcel Energy Center.

New Hampshire, the top seed, concluded a 30-7-3 campaign while having its 10-game winning streak snapped. UNH had outscored its opponents 50-18 during its winning streak.

Sophomore right wing Steve Saviano’s shorthanded goal for UNH with 2:05 remaining in the first period broke a 1-1 tie but Metcalf’s two second-period goals supplied the Bears with a 3-2 lead it would never relinquish.

Lucas Lawson scored the other Maine goal. It was one of four third-period goals for the Bears and gave Maine a 5-2 lead.

Maine outshot the Wildcats 29-15 over the final two periods.

“The last two periods were two of our best periods of the season,” said Maine junior left winger Chris Heisten. “We played our systems to a ‘T.’ We did what we wanted to do.”

Maine junior defenseman Michael Schutte said the “work ethic of our forwards was the difference. They were coming back to help out the defensemen and that made it real easy for us. By coming back real hard, we’d be able to transition the puck the other way.”

UNH’s Sean Collins had opened the scoring off a Metcalf turnover just 21 seconds into the game but Liscak equalized 3:13 later. Saviano’s shorthanded goal enabled the Wildcats to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission.

Both of Metcalf’s goals came on snap shots from the left point that eluded UNH goalie Michael Ayers, who struggled all afternoon.

“When we lost to them in the Hockey East final [3-1 on March 16], we weren’t going to the net and weren’t forcing pressure into the net. We weren’t even throwing pucks to the net,” said Metcalf. “So I just got the puck at the top of the circles and let them go. I wanted to try to catch him [Ayers] off-guard and I did. I saw that he was a little shaky so I told the guys to shoot the puck as soon as they get it.”

Heisten fed Metcalf on the first one from the left corner.

Metcalf swept it to the net and it glanced into the far corner off Ayers’ body just 3:34 into the middle period.

“I was there. Somehow it sneaked through. It went in between my pants and glove. I couldn’t believe it went in. I felt like I was fighting the puck all [day],” said Ayers, who had stopped 64 of 67 shots in his last two outings against Maine, a 2-2 overtime tie in Orono and the Hockey East final win.

Metcalf’s second one came 2:20 later off a UNH rim-around. Falco tied up UNH’s Jim Abbott along the boards, allowing the puck to squirt to Metcalf.

This time, his wrister skipped through Ayers’ pads.

“It hit off [Maine freshman center] Ben Murphy and went in. But he ended up giving me the goal. He’s a good kid,” grinned Metcalf, whose two-goal game was his first of the season.

Heisten said Maine realized Ayers wasn’t playing well after Metcalf’s second goal.

“He had played a lot better than that against us previously. So we realized we had to start shooting from everywhere. And if we played good defense, the offense would take care of itself. That was the turning point,” said Heisten.

The Bears began controlling the play but, despite their dominance, they had to dodge a few bullets to take a lead into the second intermission.

Senior goalie Mike Morrison flashed out his left pad to kick out a Josh Prudden one-timer from the middle of the slot and the Bears stymied one of the nation’s top power plays, operating at a 30.1 percent success rate, when UNH had a two-man advantage for 36 seconds later in the period.

UNH had converted six of its last 15 power-play opportunities entering the game but the Bears held them scoreless in four chances.

A diving Metcalf broke up a three-on-one midway through the period.

Maine’s Todd Jackson had a chance to pad the lead but fired a breakaway over the net.

But Liscak, who turned 24 Thursday, combined on the all-important fourth goal 8:16 into the third period.

The Wildcats turned the puck over high in the defensive zone and Jackson cut toward the net with the puck.

“Somebody got a stick on me so I just tried to get it towards the net, hoping somebody would get a rebound. But it would up on Lisch’s stick and he made a nice finish,” said Jackson.

“I picked the puck up and Ayers was moving with it. I just put it five-hole,” Liscak said.

Maine coach Dick Umile said that was the game’s pivotal goal “as far as us staying in the game. After that goal, it was all them.”

Maine caught a break moments later when a Collins wrister off a faceoff to Morrison’s right rung off the far post.

Moments later, Lawson took a feed from Niko Dimitrakos and streaked down the left wing on a two-on-one with Marty Kariya.

Lawson elected to take a slapper from the top of the left circle and it crawled between Ayers’ pads.

Falco’s rising 16-foot wrister off a Liscak drop pass made it 6-2 and Falco and fellow freshman linemates Murphy and John Ronan were rewarded for their impressive play with a power-play stint late in the game and they capitalized when Falco jammed home a loose puck.

“The red line [Murphy’s line] was probably our best line,” said Lawson.

The first period featured momentum swings each way, a couple of strange goals and the late shorthanded goal by Saviano.

Collins’ shot off Metcalf’s turnover deflected over Morrison’s glove off Cliff Loya’s stick. But Liscak equalized when his centering pass intended for Jackson deflected in off Ayers.

Saviano scored off a David Busch rebound to give UNH its second and final lead.

“We played a strong game. It was fun to watch out there,” said junior right wing Gray Shaneberger, who teamed with Liscak and Jackson to do an effective checking job on the Collins-Darren Haydar-Steve Saviano line. “Everyone was doing the things we do best.”

The Wildcats were stunned.

“We couldn’t generate much. We were making mistakes, throwing the puck away,” said Hobey Baker Award finalist Haydar. “It was very uncharacteristic of our team. The most disappointing part is we didn’t have close to our best showing.

“But you’ve got to give Maine credit. They’re a great team. They came together and played an excellent game.”

Maine outshot UNH 40-25. It was the most lopsided shot disadvantage surrendered by UNH this season. Morrison was solid in goal, making 23 saves.

“I thought I played well. I just wanted to make the saves I was supposed to make. There wasn’t much I could do on the goals,” said Morrison.

He said Liscak’s third-period goal “showed UNH we weren’t letting up and we’re coming right at you for the next 20 minutes so get ready.”

Liscak said he asked the players for a win over UNH as a birthday present and they came through for him.

This was Maine’s seventh playoff win over UNH in eight games including the 3-2 overtime win in the 1999 NCAA championship game in Anaheim.

BLACK BEARS 7, WILDCATS 2

Maine (26-10-7) 1 2 4 ? 7

New Hampshire (30-7-3) 2 0 0 ? 2

First period ? 1. UNH, Collins 20 (unassisted), :21; 2. Maine, Liscak 15 (Jackson, Shaneberger), 3:34; 3. UNH, Saviano 13 (Busch), 17:55 (sh); Penalties: Maine, Shaneberger, high-sticking, :24; UNH, Collins, roughing, 4:01; Maine, Kariya, roughing, 4:01; Maine, Lawson, hooking, 7:27; UNH, Haydar, slashing, 12:52; UNH, Abbott, roughing, 16:28; Maine, Ryan, roughing, 16:28; UNH, Barker, slashing, 16:28

Second period ? 4. Maine, Metcalf 8 (Heisten), 3:37; 5. Maine, Metcalf 9 (Falco), 5:57; Penalties: UNH, Collins, boarding, 7:50; Maine, Nault, roughing, 7:50; UNH, Stafford, high-sticking, 8:57; Maine, Heisten, cross-checking, 13:22; Maine, Dimitrakos, interference, 14:47

Third period ? 6. Maine, Liscak 16 (Jackson), 8:16; 7. Maine, Lawson 18 (Dimitrakos, Metcalf), 12:20; 8. Maine, Falco 3 (Liscak), 13:30; 9. Maine, Falco 4 (Murphy, Ronan), 16:21 (pp); Penalties: UNH, Stafford, tripping, :41; UNH, Haydar, slashing, 16:07

Shots on goal: Maine 9-18-13?40; UNH 10-8-7?25

Goaltenders: Maine, Morrison (25 shots-23 saves); UNH, Ayers (40-33)

Power-play opportunities: Maine 1 of 5; UNH 0 of 4

High-percentage scoring chances: Maine 8-10-8?26; UNH 9-5-7?21

Attendance: 19,214 (Frozen Four record)