ORONO – The line of Jon Jankus between Rob Bellamy and Brent Shepheard isn’t expected to score goals for the University of Maine men’s hockey team.

That line’s responsibility is to generate momentum by playing the body, working the puck low in the offensive zone, and maintaining a defensive presence.

They more than fulfilled their responsibilities Saturday night as Maine completed a weekend sweep of the Hockey East leaders with a 3-1 triumph at Alfond Arena.

Bellamy scored the game-winner just 1:06 after Boston College had equalized in the second period, then teamed up with Jankus to set up sophomore defenseman Bret Tyler’s insurance goal later in the period.

By improving to 21-10-1 overall and 14-8-1 in Hockey East, the Black Bears climbed into third place in the league and moved up to 10th in the PairWise Rankings that emulate the NCAA Tournament selection process. Maine is 7-1-1 in its last nine games.

The Bears won all three meetings with the Eagles, marking the first time that has happened since the 1992-93 NCAA title year.

The victory also gave Maine coach Tim Whitehead his 200th career win in 10 seasons between UMass Lowell and Maine. He is now 200-147-34.

Freshman goalie Ben Bishop also shined, finishing with 31 saves, including 14 off Grade-A shots from an Eagle team that played much better and with much more energy and physicality than it had in Friday night’s 4-1 loss to Maine.

BC, loser of three straight and four of its last six, fell to 19-9-2, 16-6-1.

“This is definitely what we needed at this point of the season. This gives us a big boost coming into the home stretch and the playoffs,” said Maine senior defenseman and assistant captain Steve Mullin. “The forwards did a phenomenal job coming back and picking up the third BC forward [in the rush]. They rely on their speed to generate their attack and our forwards took that away from them, which was huge for us.”

He also praised the Jankus line as well as Bishop.

“You would have thought they were our top line the way they played this weekend. I don’t know if they spent an entire shift in our [defensive] zone the entire weekend. They were phenomenal,” said Mullin, who called Bishop “our backbone.”

Maine senior right wing and captain Greg Moore scored the only goal of the first period, his 22nd of the season and 11th in his last 13 games.

Gannon tied it up 6:46 into the second period, but the deadlock was short-lived thanks to Bellamy’s goal off Jankus’ setup after Jankus received the puck from Mullin behind the Eagle net.

“I had already made up my mind that I was going to fake going to my forehand and come out on my backhand side,” said Jankus. “Their defenseman bit on it. I put a shot on net and Bellamy scored off the rebound.”

BC coach Jerry York said, “The puck was stuck in Gannon’s skates and Bellamy kind of pushed it. It had eyes.”

BC goalie Cory Schneider said the puck “squirted out real quick. I got there as it was coming at me and tried to squeeze my legs, but it found its way through.”

Whitehead said, “That was a big, big goal. That was a timely goal that got the momentum and the crowd back. It was the turning point.”

It was a Jankus pass from behind the net that resulted in Tyler’s goal as he raced to the net-front and one-timed it home from the low slot.

“I saw Bret coming down the middle,” said Jankus.

Schneider said he never saw Tyler.

“I was in position, but a hole opened up for a split second [between my pads] and he was able to find it,” said Schneider, who made 24 saves, including 14 Grade-A stops.

BC had the better chances in the first period, and Maine dodged a bullet when Peter Harrold’s screened wrister hit the crossbar.

Moore scored when he accepted a Michel Leveille pass, beat a defenseman wide, and cut across the top of the crease before tucking the puck between Schneider’s left skate and the post.

Gannon tied it in the second period when he stole the puck from Billy Ryan and beat Bishop along the ice to the far corner from the right faceoff circle.

But Bishop would not surrender another.

“I felt good out there. It’s snowballing. Every game, we’re getting better as a team and so am I,” said Bishop.

The game was delayed 15 minutes in the first period when the lights dimmed due to a power surge.

BLACK BEARS 3, EAGLES 1

Boston College (19-9-2) 0 1 0 – 1

Maine (21-10-1) 1 2 0 – 3

First period – 1. Maine, Moore 22 (Leveille, Wight), 11:39. Penalties: BC, Gionta, interference, :26; Maine, K. Hopson, interference, 1:31; Maine, Wight, obstruction-interference, 4:29; Maine, Tyler, boarding, 6:31; BC, Brennan, obstruction-cross checking, 18:49.

Second period – 2. BC, Gannon 4 (unassisted), 6:46; 3. Maine, Bellamy 5 (Jankus, Mullin), 7:52; 4. Maine, Tyler 5 (Jankus, Bellamy), 15:13. Penalties: BC, Rooney, hooking, 9:26; Maine, Bellamy, tripping, 15:25.

Third period – No scoring. Penalties: BC, Orpik, hooking, 8:04; BC, Collins, contact to the head-high sticking, 8:27; Maine, Jankus, contact to the head-roughing, 16:45.

Shots on goal: BC 7-11-14-32; Maine 7-11-9-27

Goaltenders: BC, Schneider (27 shots-24 saves); Maine, Bishop (32-31)

Power-play opportunities: BC 0 of 5, Maine 0 of 5

High-percentage scoring chances: BC 5-8-7-20; Maine 8-9-10-27

Attendance: 5,616