BOSTON – The University of Maine men’s hockey team had been limited to three goals or less in four consecutive games.

But the Black Bears erupted Saturday night as Josh Soares collected three goals for his first career hat trick and added an assist and the Bears tied a school record with three shorthanded goals en route to a 7-1 win over Northeastern at Matthews Arena.

Soares, who had gone five games without a goal, tied a school mark with two shorthanded goals and added another on the power play as Maine improved to 10-3-1 overall, 5-3-1 in Hockey East. Northeastern fell to 4-9-2 and 2-8-2.

“I was fortunate tonight. I got some bounces and had some opportunities and I was able to put the puck in the net,” said Soares, a senior left wing. “I want to contribute as much as I can to this team. That’s what I’m here to do. I was glad I was able to do that tonight.”

Maine senior center and captain Michel Leveille said he was happy for his teammate.

“I know he wasn’t happy about the way he had been scoring. We needed that,” Leveille said”

Leveille scored on a four-on-four in the first period after Soares’ pinpoint cross-ice pass sent speedy senior right wing Keith Johnson in alone for a 1-0 lead just 1:05 into the game.

Leveille found the back of the net 10:49 later and Soares expanded the lead on the power play 45 seconds after that.

Soares (shorthanded) and senior center Mike Hamilton made it 5-0 with goals 4:47 apart in the second period, and Soares and Billy Ryan added shorthanded scores in the third period before NU’s Joe Vitale (shorthanded) ruined Maine goalie Ben Bishop’s bid for a second consecutive shutout with 2:05 left.

Hamilton and Ryan also had two assists apiece. It was their first three-point games of the season.

Maine killed off eight NU power plays, running its streak to 20 consecutive penalty kills.

“Three shorthanded goals was great to see,” Maine coach Tim Whitehead said. “We drove the net hard and protected the front of our net pretty well.”

NU coach Greg Cronin called his power play “pathetic.”

Bishop finished with 20 saves, including nine off high-percentage shots.

Maine outshot the youthful (15 freshmen and sophomores) Huskies 34-21.

“I was very pleased with Ben’s focus and his performance,” Whitehead said. “He stayed big in the net and was under control throughout the game.”

The 6-foot-7 Bishop felt he was steady and credited his teammates for “blocking shots and letting me see their shots.”

Johnson opened the scoring with a dash down the right wing before roofing the puck over the stacked pads of freshman goalie Brad Thiessen, the Hockey East Player of the Week last week.

Thiessen had lived with Maine junior center Keenan Hopson’s family while playing junior hockey in Prince George, British Columbia.

“Keenan’s dad told him to shoot high because [Thiessen] liked to go down. That was in the back of my mind when I was going in on the rush,” said Johnson.

Leveille beat Thiessen high to the far [glove] side from the inner edge of the left circle after using his skate to kick a Teddy Purcell pass onto his stick.

Maine expanded the lead when Ryan fed Bret Tyler at the point and Soares was able to deflect Tyler’s low wrister through Thiessen’s pads.

Soares made it 4-0 6:17 into the second period when he sent Hamilton in alone, followed it up, then flipped home a Hamilton rebound.

“Mike created the goal. He whacked at the puck, it popped out, and their two defensemen went to him,” said Soares.

Moments after NU captain Mike Morris missed a wide-open net, Hamilton scored off a three-on-two.

“[Rob Bellamy and Ryan] were driving the net real well and they took their defensemen out of the play. I waited, [Thiessen] went down, and I had a bit of room upstairs and that’s where I put it,” said Hamilton.

In the third period, Soares converted a clean break-in after Ryan broke up an errant NU pass, then Ryan capped Maine’s scoring when he swept home a Johnson rebound.

“They played a good game,” said NU’s Morris.

“Three shorthanded goals, a four-on-four goal, a power-play goal, and two breakaway goals,” said Cronin. “That’s the story.”

BLACK BEARS 7, HUSKIES 1

Maine (10-3-1) 3 2 2 – 7

Northeastern (4-9-2) 0 0 1 – 1

First period – 1. Maine, Johnson 4 (Soares, Hopson), 1:05; 2. Maine, Leveille 12 (Purcell, Hamilton), 11:54; 3. Maine, Soares 5 (Tyler, Ryan), 12:39 (pp). Penalties: Maine, Carriere, hitting from behind, 2:51; NU, Esner, goaltender interference, 9:51; Maine, Shepheard, slashing, 10:20; NU, Vitale, contact to the head, 11:36; Maine, Marshall, hooking, 15:45

Second period – 4. Maine, Soares 6 (Hamilton), 6:17 (sh); 5. Maine, Hamilton 4 (unassisted), 11:04. Penalties: Maine, Shepheard, interference, 12:04; NU, McCauley, hooking, 14:02

Third period – 6. Maine, Soares 7 (Ryan), 5:54 (sh); 7. Maine, Ryan 3 (Johnson, Danis-Pepin), 12:29 (sh); 8. NU, Vitale 4 (Rassey), 17:55 (sh). Penalties: Maine, Marshall, slashing, 6:39; Maine, Tyler, hooking, 10:52; Maine, Shepheard, hitting after the whistle, 10:52; NU, McCauley, hitting after the whistle, 10:52; NU, Chisholm, tripping, 14:00; NU, Linard, roughing, hitting after the whistle and 10-minute misconduct, 16:25; Maine, Ryan, roughing, 16:25; Maine, Hamilton, roughing, 16:25; NU, McCauley, hitting after the whistle, 16:25; Maine, Bellamy, 10-minute misconduct, 16:25; Maine, de Kastrozza, roughing, 19:08

Shots on goal: Maine 12-10-12-34; NU 6-7-8-21

Goaltenders: Maine, Bishop (21 shots-20 saves); NU, Thiessen (34-27)

Power-play opportunities: Maine 1 of 7, NU 0 of 8

High-percentage scoring chances: Maine 7-10-7-24; NU 8-7-7-22

Attendance: 3,850