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PORTLAND – On paper, it was a complete mismatch.
The No. 3 team in the nation, the University of Maine’s 10-3-1 Black Bears, against a 4-10-3 Mercyhurst College (Pa.) team that was tied for seventh in a league (Atlantic Hockey Association) that allows only 11 scholarships per team, seven fewer than the NCAA limit.
In addition, Mercyhurst’s goalie, Jordan Wakefield, is a senior who had appeared in only 22 career games prior to Saturday night’s game at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
But Wakefield was tremendous, making 45 saves, and his mates efficiently protected the front of his net as the Lakers earned a 1-1 overtime tie.
Maine outshot Mercyhurst 46-19 and had a 79-33 edge in attempted shots. But the Bears missed the net 18 times, had 14 shots blocked, and saw senior left wing Brent Shepheard hit the post with 9:22 remaining.
Mercyhurst junior center and leading scorer Ben Cottreau had scored his 11th goal just 3:42 into the game.
Bear senior defenseman Mike Lundin tied the game on the power play with 2:20 remaining in the second period. It was his third goal of the season.
Cottreau had to be helped off the ice with 5:01 remaining in the second period after absorbing a bone-rattling hit from Maine’s Matt Duffy, who received a contact-to-the-head, elbowing penalty. Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin said Cottreau suffered a “severe concussion and a swollen face.”
Maine coach Tim Whitehead said the tie was a “frustrating result.”
He didn’t receive the strong tone-setting performance he sought in the first period.
The Lakers not only scored the period’s only goal, but they also misfired on a pair of two-on-ones.
“We gave Mercyhurst confidence in the first period and then they earned most of it themselves. They showed a lot of heart,” said Whitehead.
“We came out flat,” said Maine senior center and captain Michel Leveille. “We didn’t have any jump, we had a lot of turnovers, and we gave up a couple of odd-man rushes.”
Whitehead felt his team played well after the first period.
Senior left wing and assistant captain Josh Soares agreed, saying, “We had a good effort [after the first period], but their goalie played really well. We didn’t create many rebound opportunities and we didn’t take his eyes away [by screening him].”
Wakefield praised his mates.
“They did a great job boxing out in front. I could see every shot, and if there was a rebound, I had time to cover it up,” said Wakefield, who made 18 of his saves off Grade-A (high-percentage) shots. “When they pressured us, the guys would clear the puck off the glass to relieve the pressure.”
Gotkin said he challenged Wakefield before the game “to step up and give us the goaltending that we need.”
“I was very proud of him,” added Gotkin. “It’s rare that a tie feels like a win, but this is one of those times.”
Gotkin also devised a system that clogged up the middle and forced Maine to attack from the outside.
“It was the first time we’ve used it and it worked great,” said Laker freshman defenseman Cullen Eddy.
Maine sophomore goalie Ben Bishop was also sharp. He didn’t face nearly as many shots as Wakefield, but nine of his saves came off Grade-A shots.
“Bishop played very well,” Gotkin said.
Cottreau’s goal came on the rebound of a Kirk Medernach drive from the right point as he snapped a 30-footer over Bishop’s blocker.
Lundin tied it with a shot from the right point.
“The shot was along the ice, but it hit a stick and deflected up over my glove,” said Wakefield.
Both teams had great chances in the third period and overtime.
In the third, Maine’s newly formed fourth line of Chris Hahn-Wes Clark-Vince Laise buzzed the net and had several whacks during one wild flurry.
Shepheard’s backhander off a Simon Danis-Pepin rebound hit the post to Wakefield’s right.
Bishop came up with a gem on a Bobby Phillips one-timer off a three-on-one, and he also robbed Matt Pierce, who one-timed a Nick Vandenbeld pass.
In overtime, Maine’s Keith Johnson and the Lakers’ Scott Champagne each sliced across the top of the crease only to be thwarted by the goalies.
BLACK BEARS 1, LAKERS 1 (OT)
Mercyhurst (4-10-4) 1 0 0 0 – 1
Maine (10-3-2) 0 1 0 0 – 1
First period – 1. Mer, Cottreau 11 (Medernack, Trafford), 3:42. Penalties: Mer, Kirstein, tripping, 3:58; Mer, Champagne, elbowing, 8:49; Maine, Hamilton, cross checking, 10:54; Mer, Cottreau, cross checking, 14:41; Mer, Phillips, interference, 18:00
Second period – 2. Maine, Lundin 3 (Purcell, Shepheard), 17:40 (pp). Penalties: Mer, Champagne, hooking, 1:33; Maine, Hamilton, interference, 7:25; Maine, Duffy, contact to the head-elbowing, 14:59; Mer, Robinson, tripping, 17:36
Third period – No scoring. Penalties: Mer, Warren, slashing, 4:19
Overtime – No scoring. Penalties: none
Shots on goal: Mercyhurst 7-5-6-1-19; Maine 11-14-18-3-46
Goaltenders: Mercyhurst, Wakefield (46 shots-45 saves), Maine, Bishop (19-18)
Power-play opportunities: Mercyhurst 0 of 3, Maine 1 of 7
High-percentage scoring chances: Mercyhurst 6-4-4-2-16; Maine 9-9-10-3-31
Attendance: 6,626
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