CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Often a terrific save at one end of the ice will set in motion a play that results in a goal at the other end.

Boston College junior goalie Cory Schneider robbed Bret Tyler of a potential game-tying goal with 5:30 remaining and Nathan Gerbe scored eight seconds later as the Eagles completed a weekend and series men’s hockey sweep of the University of Maine Black Bears 6-5 Friday night at Conte Forum.

Boston College improved to 18-11-1 overall, 14-8-1 in Hockey East. Maine fell to 19-10-2 and 12-10-1, respectively. BC now has a four-point lead over Maine in the battle for third place after winning all three games against the Black Bears this season.

Maine went 1-7-1 in its games against league leader New Hampshire, second-place Boston University, and BC, and its 10 losses in league play are its most since 1997-98 when the Bears went 10-11-3.

It was Boston College coach Jerry York’s 300th win at Boston College, his alma mater.

With BC leading 5-4, Teddy Purcell had the puck in the corner to Schneider’s right and threaded a pass across to Tyler, who snuck down the slot. Schneider anticipated the pass and sprang across the crease to get his pad on the shot.

“I thought I had the open net. I knew he’d get across, so I tried to put it upstairs,” said Tyler. “I was in too tight and he got his pad on it. He’s so quick. He made an even better play kicking it out to [Brock] Bradford.”

Bradford sprinted down the left wing and fired a snap shot from the left circle.

Maine goalie Ben Bishop got the inside of his pad on the shot, but it bounced in front and Gerbe swept it home.

“Brock made a great play getting around the defenseman and getting off a quick shot,” said Gerbe. “The puck was sitting there. It was a Christmas gift for me.”

“That was turning point in the game, no question,” said York.

Gerbe praised his goalie, saying, “Cory always makes huge saves for us.”

Maine, which never led in the game, got one back with 4:28 remaining while enjoying a two-man advantage. Purcell threw a precise pass across the crease to Josh Soares at the far post and Soares chipped it into the short-side corner.

The Bears couldn’t capitalize on the remaining one-man advantage, and BC held on with Schneider making a couple of good stops after Maine pulled Bishop in favor of the extra attacker.

Maine had erased a two-goal deficit with goals by Michel Leveille and Billy Ryan in the first 7:19 of the third period. For each, it was their second goals of the game.

But Brian Boyle gave BC the lead for good off a Gerbe rebound with 10:12 remaining.

Gerbe scampered down the left wing and took a slap shot from the left circle.

“I gave Gerbe the glove side and he took it. It hit the inside of my glove and my pad and dropped [into the crease],” said Bishop.

Boyle was able to fend off Purcell and tap the rebound into the exposed net.

“I had half a step on him [Purcell] and I was rewarded for it,” said Boyle.

BC had a pair of one-goal leads and took a 4-2 lead into the third period.

But Leveille rifled a slapper into the far side past Schneider’s glove 42 seconds into the third period before Ryan equalized by taking a diagonal pass from Keenan Hopson, cutting right to left through the slot, and firing a wrister that glanced in off Schneider’s shoulder.

EAGLES 6, BLACK BEARS 5

Maine (19-10-2) 1 1 3 – 5

Boston College (18-11-1) 1 3 2 – 6

First period – 1. BC, Price 2 (Greene), 16:17; 2. Maine, Ryan 8 (Hopson), 19:10. Penalties: Maine, Hopson, tripping, :44; Maine, Ryan, cross-checking, 13:33; BC, Sneep, holding, 19:34.

Second period – 3. BC, Motherwell 3 (Ferreiro, Boyle), 8:25 (pp); 4. Maine, Leveille 14 (Morrone), 10:39; 5. BC, Bertram 5 (Rooney), 15:39; 6. BC, Greene 2 (Sneep), 19:26. Penalties: BC, Boyle, tripping, 1:22; Maine, Hamilton, charging, 6:56; Maine, Leveille, unsportsmanlike conduct, 10:57; BC, Greene, unsportsmanlike conduct, 10:57; BC, O’Hanley, holding, 16:38; BC, Gerbe, unsportsmalike conduct, 19:35; Maine, Shepheard, unsportsmanlike conduct, 19:50.

Third period – 7. Maine, Leveille 15 (unassisted), :42; 8. Maine, Ryan 9 (Hopson), 7:19 (pp); 9. BC, Boyle 15 (Gerbe), 9:48; 10. BC, Gerbe 17 (Bradford), 14:38; 11. Maine, Soares 18 (Purcell, Hamilton), 15:32 (pp). Penalties: BC, Ferriero, obstruction-hooking, 6:02; Maine, Shepheard, double-minor for roughing, 14:38; BC, Gerbe, unsportsmanlike conduct, 14:38; BC, Boyle, double minor for roughing, 14:38; BC, bench minor (served by Kucharski), too many men on the ice, 15:07.

Shots on goal: Maine 9-11-14-34; BC 11-15-8-34

Goaltenders: Maine, Bishop (34 shots-28 saves); BC, Schneider (34-29)

Power-play opportunities: Maine 2 of 7; BC 1 of 4

High-percentage scoring chances: Maine 8-7-9-24; BC 8-9-5-22

Attendance: 6,219