Maine’s power play sinks Lowell Bears can end quarterfinal series tonight with win

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ORONO – The University of Maine’s power play, which had converted just once in 18 opportunities over its previous four games, came to life Friday night.

The Bears converted on four of their eight chances, all coming in the first two periods, and they built a 7-0 lead en route to a 7-2 victory over the UMass Lowell River Hawks in the first game in their best-of-three Hockey East quarterfinal series.

Maine (19-11-7) will look to close out the series against the River Hawks (20-11-4) on Saturday night at 7. An if-necessary game would be played on Sunday evening.

Maine has now won all four meetings between the two teams this season.

Maine’s season-high four power-play goals came at the expense of River Hawk penalty-killing units that had killed off 26 of the previous 27 disadvantages.

After John Ronan opened the scoring with an even-strength goal just 1:09 into the game, power-play goals by Derek Damon and Michel Leveille expanded the lead later in the period.

Power-play goals by Bret Tyler and Greg Moore sandwiched a Keith Johnson breakaway in the second period.

Johnson added a third-period goal.

“The first two periods were two of the best periods we’ve played all year,” said Ronan. “We’ve worked on the power play a lot and it paid off.”

UMass Lowell coach Blaise MacDonald said the penalties “destroyed us.”

The River Hawks killed off two overlapping five-on-three disadvantages early in the game “and it really gassed us.”

Ronan opened the scoring by converting a faceoff play involving Jon Jankus.

Jankus won the draw to the left of River Hawk goalie John Yaros back to Ronan at the top of the circle.

“Jon pushed their center ahead and tapped the puck back to me,” said Ronan. “I took a step back to free up the angle and I put it on net,” said Ronan whose rising wrister beat Yaros over his blocker into the far corner.

Ronan’s goal was his fourth in six games.

Damon made it 2-0 at the 13:40 mark while the Bears had a one-man advantage.

Mike Lundin’s shot from the left point sailed wide of the short-side corner but came out the other side to Damon, who quickly pulled the puck to his forehand and put it into the short-side corner from the edge of the crease.

“[Yaros] came over and dropped down and I put it top shelf,” said Damon.

Leveille scored 5:06 later when he curled between the circles after taking a pass from Tyler and fired a screened wrister past Yaros. Brent Shepheard was providing the screen.

“I was looking to pass the puck but they read it,” said Leveille. “[Assistant coach Campbell Blair] has been telling me to attack the net and shoot the puck more.”

Leveille’s goal was his 11th in 30 games after he collected just six in 43 games a year ago. It was his fourth goal in the last seven games.

Tyler expanded the lead to 4-0 5:24 into the second period when Leveille slipped the puck back to him at the point and he one-timed a screened wrister past Yaros.

“I just tried to get it on net,” said Tyler.

Johnson and Moore salted the game away in the final three minutes as Johnson chipped the puck behind Yaros after being sent in alone by Mike Hamilton and Moore one-timed a cross-ice pass from Tyler past a helpless Yaros.

Johnson, who had gone eight games without a point, scored his second early in the third period before Cleve Kinley ended Jimmy Howard’s shutout streak with 4:19 remaining.

Matt Lundin replaced Howard and Brian Bova scored at his expense 31 seconds later.

Maine, which has beaten UMass Lowell four times this season, outshot the River Hawks 37-28.

“Maine is a great power-play team. They have a lot of skill,” said UML defenseman and captain Peter Tormey who added that they took a lot of ill-advised penalties especially early in the game.

BLACK BEARS 7, RIVER HAWKS 2

UMass Lowell 0 0 2 – 2

Maine 3 3 1 – 7

First period – 1. Maine, Ronan 11 (Jankus), 1:09; 2. Maine, Damon 13 (Mi. Lundin, Ramsey), 13:40 (pp); 3. Maine, Leveille 11 (Tyler, Hopson), 18:46 (pp). Penalties: Maine, Ramsey, obstruction-interference, 2:11; UML, Robins, hitting from behind, 3:27; UML, Tormey, contact to the head-high sticking, 4:01; UML, Kinley, cross checking, 4:54; UML, D’Agostino, contact to the head-high sticking, 8:21; UML, Tejchma, obstruction-interference, 12:58; Maine, Hamilton, hitting after the whistle, 15:39; UML, bench minor for too many men on the ice (served by D’Agostino), 18:36

Second period – 4. Maine, Tyler 6 (Ronan, Leveille), 5:24 (pp); 5. Maine, Johnson 8 (Hamilton), 17:00; 6. Maine, Moore 14 (Tyler, Shepheard), 19:51 (pp). Penalties: Maine, Ramsey, holding, 3:06; UML, Godoy, contact to the head-roughing, 4:30; Maine, Bellamy, obstruction-interference, 7:28; Maine, Moore, elbowing, 12:04; UML, Walter, hitting after the whistle, 12:09; Maine, Ramsey, hitting after the whistle, 12:09; UML, Robins, hitting after the whistle, 13:37; Maine, Ronan, hitting after the whistle, 13:37; UML, Godoy, boarding, 18:38

Third period – 7. Maine, Johnson 9 (Bellamy, Hopson), 10:21; 8. UML, Kinley 8 (Godoy), 15:41; 9. UML, Bova 6 (Fletcher), 16:12. Penalties: UML, Martin, holding, :46; Maine, Leveille, diving, :46; Maine, Bellamy, contact to the head-roughing, 15:41; UML, Godoy, slashing, 15:41

Shots on goal: UMass Lowell 4-7-17-28; Maine 18-11-8-37

Goaltenders: UMass Lowell, Yaros (29 shots, 23 saves), Davidson (0:00 of third, 8-7); Maine, Howard (27-26), Ma. Lundin (15:41 of 3rd, 1-0)

Power-play opportunities: UMass Lowell 0 of 5, Maine 4 of 8

High-percentage scoring opportunities: UMass Lowell 3-7-12-22; Maine 10-11-6-27

Attendance: 4,098

UNH 4, Northeastern 0

DURHAM, N.H. (AP) – Justin Aikins scored two goals and Jeff Pietrasiak posted his second career shutout with 29 saves to lift New Hampshire to a 4-0 series-clinching victory against Northeastern in the Hockey East quarterfinals on Friday night.

Aikins got the Wildcats (24-9-5) on the board at 4:28 of the second with assists from Daniel Winnik and Jacob Micflikier.

Preston Callander added another goal just 15 seconds later after Sean Collins fed him the puck from the left point.

Aikins scored his second goal at 9:05 of the second period and Matt Fornataro rounded out the scoring at 4:37 of the third period.

Northeastern finishes the season at 15-18-5.

Providence 4, BU 1

BOSTON (AP) – Tyler Sims made 51 saves, leading Providence to a 4-1 win over Boston University in the first game of their three-game Hockey East first-round series.

Providence (12-19-4), the No. 7 seed, took a 2-0 lead with a pair of first-period goals. Chris Chaput scored at 6:35 and John Rheault added a goal at 10:51.

Chaput and Rheault added empty-net goals late in the third period for the Friars.

Ryan Monaghan scored for second-seeded Boston University (21-12-4) at 18:52 of the third.

It was the first time a seventh-seeded team had beaten a second-seeded team in the Hockey East playoffs.

The teams play again Saturday night in Boston.