ORONO – University of Maine junior right wing Keith Johnson ended a 10-game goal-less drought. He also ended a game with his goal Friday night.

Johnson’s goal 51 seconds into overtime gave the Black Bears a hard-fought 4-3 victory over UMass Lowell in the first game of their best-of-three Hockey East quarterfinal series.

Maine’s Michel Leveille fed the puck to Billy Ryan, who weaved into the River Hawk zone and dropped the puck for Johnson, who snapped a wrist shot from the top of the right circle just inside the far post over the blocker of UML goalie Peter Vetri.

Maine improved to 25-10-2 overall while UMass Lowell fell to 14-19-2. The second game will be Saturday at 7 with a deciding game, if necessary, being played Sunday night at 7.

“I’ve been getting a lot of chances lately but I haven’t been burying them. I didn’t get down. I knew they would have to start going in sometime,” said Johnson, who had just come off the bench on a line change and followed Ryan into the offensive zone.

“Billy left me a nice drop pass and I just shot it. I was just trying to put it on net,” said Johnson whose goal was his fifth of the season and his first career overtime winner.

Ryan said, “I faked going wide on the defenseman and cut in. Keith came in behind me and yelled for the puck.”

Vetri said Johnson had plenty of steam on the shot.

“It was a seed. I saw it but it was a fast shot. It hit the post and went in,” said Vetri.

Maine senior right wing and captain Greg Moore quipped, “We’ve never seen Keith shoot a puck that hard, in practice or in a game.”

Johnson considered the goal one of the highlights of his career.

“Playing in a national championship game [two years ago] has been my biggest thrill so far but this is way up there,” said Johnson.

Moore’s second power-play goal of the game, coming with 10:09 remaining, forced the overtime.

Josh Soares’ shot was blocked in front of the net but Derek Damon kicked it across the crease to Moore, who swept it into the open net.

“We had Damon’s stick tied it up, but he winds up kicking the puck over to one of the best goal scorers in the country and we didn’t tie up his [Moore’s] stick,” said UMass Lowell coach Blaise MacDonald.

Vetri said, “Any time somebody makes a play like that, it’s worthy of a goal.”

Freshman center Nick Monroe had given the River Hawks a 3-2 lead 2:24 into the third period with his first collegiate goal.

The puck was flipped in the air by UML’s Kim Brandvold and Maine defenseman Travis Ramsey gloved it down to the ice where the alert Monroe pounced on it and wristed a 20-footer past the blocker of Maine freshman goalie Ben Bishop.

Jason Tejchma opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal for the River Hawks, the 10th allowed by the Black Bears this season, but the Black Bears responded with Moore’s first power-play goal and Damon’s even-strength goal later in the first period.

Against the run of play in the second period, the River Hawks equalized with 48 seconds left when Jeremy Hall was credited with a goal as Bobby Robins’ wrister from the right-wing boards deflected off him in a crowded goalmouth.

Tejchma converted a breakaway off a Bret Tyler turnover 8:47 into the game as he skated in on Bishop, made a head fake and slid a backhander between Bishop’s pads.

Moore answered 4:33 later, collecting his 100th career point in doing so.

Damon and Tyler assisted on the goal as Moore took a wrister from the top of the right circle that glanced in off the stick of UML defenseman Matt Collar, who had his stick along the ice at the far post.

Damon made it 2-1 4:03 later, notching his 50th career goal.

Tyler’s wrister from the point hit a body in front and dropped in the low slot. Collar tried to sweep it out of harm’s way with his glove but his clear went to Damon, who fired it into the vacant short side before Vetri could scramble over.

The River Hawks enjoyed a territorial edge early in the third period after Monroe had given them the lead but the Moore goal swung the momentum back to Maine and the Bears had some good chances to grab the lead only to have Vetri come up with some timely stops.

MacDonald said he was “extremely frustrated” that his team took so many penalties and allowed Maine’s power play eight opportunities.

BLACK BEARS 4, RIVERHAWKS 3 (OT)

UMass Lowell (11-15-2) 1 1 1 0 – 3

Maine (25-10-2) 2 0 1 1 – 4

First period – 1. UML, Tejchma 10 (unassisted), 8:47 (sh); 2. Maine, Moore 24 (Damon, Tyler), 13:20 (pp); 3. Maine, Damon 14 (unassisted), 17:23. Penalties: UML, Robins, goaltender interference, 2:53; Maine, Danis-Pepin, interference, 3:57; UML, too many men on the ice (served by Monroe), 4:56; UML, Godoy, hooking, 8:33; UML, Bria, holding, 12:30; UML, Tejchma, hitting after the whistle, 18:01; UML, Hall, hitting after the whistle, 18:01; Maine, Ramsey, hitting after the whistle, 18:01; Maine, Soares, hitting after the whistle, 18:01; Maine, K. Hopson, obstruction-interference, 19:03.

Second period – 4. UML, Hall 12 (Robins, Bria), 19:12. Penalties: Maine, J. Hopson, hooking, 1:53; UML, Pence, interference, 6:07; UML, Godoy, holding the stick, 7:56; Maine, K. Hopson, unsportsmanlike conduct, 15:11; UML, Vetri, hitting after the whistle (served by Monroe), 15:11; UML, Pence, unsportsmanlike conduct, 19:44; Maine, Ryan, unsportsmanlike conduct, 19:44; Maine, Soares, holding and hitting after the whistle, 20:00; Maine, Moore, roughing, 20:00; UML, Tejchma, hitting after the whistle, 20:00; UML, Bria, hitting after the whistle, 20:00.

Third period – 5. UML, Monroe 1 (unassisted), 2:24; 6. Maine, Moore 25 (Soares, Damon), 9:51 (pp). Penalties: UML, Bria, hooking, 6:32; UML, Walsh, interference, 9:31.

Overtime – 7. Maine, Johnson 5 (Ryan, Leveille), :51. Penalties: none

Shots on goal: UMass Lowell 6-7-11-0-24; Maine 9-15-13-1-38

Goaltenders: UMass Lowell, Vetri (38 shots-34 saves); Maine, Bishop (24-21)

Power-play opportunities: UMass Lowell 0 of 4; Maine 2 of 8

High-percentage scoring chances: UMass Lowell 4-2-10-0-16; Maine 8-7-8-1-24

Attendance: 4,339