MANCHESTER, N.H. – The duel between two of the nation’s premier goalies lived up to expectations at the Verizon Wireless Center Saturday night.

University of Maine freshman Jimmy Howard found himself on the losing end of a Hockey East game for the first time in his career and it was his counterpart, University of New Hampshire junior Michael Ayers, who had a lot to do with it.

Ayers made three superb lead-preserving saves late in the third period and finished with 31 stops as the Wildcats snapped Maine’s seven-game unbeaten streak 4-2.

UNH improved to 18-5-3 overall, 12-3-1 in Hockey East, entering Sunday night’s game in Durham. Maine fell to 20-3-4 and 10-2-3.

Ayers’ performance in front of a soldout crowd of 10,104 came on the first anniversary of his game in Orono when he suffered a severed tendon on his glove hand courtesy of teammate Mick Mounsey’s skate. A stitched-up Ayers came back the next night and made 33 saves in a 2-2 tie.

“This is probably my biggest win because they’re the number one team in the country,” said Ayers, who made 19 saves off high-percentage shots. “I felt I played well in the first two periods, but I felt really good in the third period. That stood out in my mind. And the guys made my job easier by clearing guys out in front of the net.”

Ayers and his mates received a big lift at the end of the second period when Maine nemesis Sean Collins scored what proved to be the game-winner with 29 seconds left. Collins, who scored the game-winner in last season’s 3-1 Hockey East championship game win over the Bears, beat Howard glove side just 1:30 after Maine’s Greg Moore had equalized.

Ayers’ first crucial save came when he held the short side and absorbed Marty Kariya’s shorthanded slap shot off a two-on-one with Todd Jackson.

Then Ayers made back-to-back gems with just over five minutes left.

Maine’s Ben Murphy wheeled out of the corner to Ayers’ left and fed a wide-open Cliff Loya, who had snuck down to the low slot from the point.

“I tried to go five-hole, but he made a good save,” said Loya, who one-timed Murphy’s pass.

Murphy regained possession of the puck and fed another back-door pass to John Ronan, who had a half-empty net staring at him.

“He fumbled the puck and that gave me extra time to get my body over,” explained Ayers. “I just got a piece of it. He chipped it and I got the top roll of my pad on it.”

Ronan has now gone 18 games without a goal since his overtime game-winner in the 4-3 NCAA Tournament win over Harvard on March 23.

UNH senior center Lanny Gare, who had only one assist in his five previous games, cemented the win by scoring his second goal of the game with 3:05 left.

Gare picked up the puck off the glass at center ice, cut around Troy Barnes, and outwaited Howard before roofing a 10-footer.

“He waited for me to make the first move. That’s what good shooters do,” said Howard.

WILDCATS 4, BLACK BEARS 2

(Saturday Night)

Maine (20-3-4) 0 2 0 ? 2

New Hampshire (18-5-3) 1 2 1 ? 4

First period ? 1. UNH, Gare 15 (Lubesnick, Hemingway), 15:26. Penalties: Maine, Loya, hooking, 6:48; UNH, Mounsey, holding the stick, 11:27

Second period ? 2. Maine, Lawson 14 (Nault, Kariya), 7:02 (pp); 3. UNH, Martz 9 (Saviano, Truelson), 9:42; 4. Maine, Moore 8 (Reimann, Lawson), 18:01; 5. UNH, Collins 14 (Saviano), 19:31. Penalties: UNH, Hoppe, holding, 6:03; Maine, Ryan, roughing, 10:57; Maine, Ryan, roughing, 10:57

Third period ? 6. UNH, Gare 16 (unassisted), 16:53. Penalties: UNH, Scott, high sticking, 2:33; UNH, Hemingway, obstruction interference, 6:20; Maine, Loya, obstruction interference, 12:00; UNH, Mounsey, roughing and hitting after the whistle, 17:22; Maine, Loya, roughing and hitting after the whistle, 17::22; Maine, Damon, slashing, 19:06; UNH, Prudden, holding, 19:06

Shots on goal: Maine 11-11-11?33; UNH 17-14-7?38

Goaltenders: Maine, Howard (38 shots-34 saves); UNH, Ayers (33-31)

Power-play Opportunities: Maine 1 of 4, UNH 0 of 2

High percentage scoring chances: Maine 5-10-8?23; UNH 9-8-4?21

Attendance: 10,104