ORONO – Boston College junior goalie Scott Clemmensen laughed when informed that Eagles coach Jerry York had called Saturday night’s 35-save 3-0 triumph over the University of Maine “the best game he has ever played in a BC uniform.”

“I remember him saying that last year after the Maine game in the Hockey East tournament [semifinal],” chuckled Clemmensen, who made 33 stops in that 3-2 win.

Clemmensen made 13 Grade-A stops Saturday to leave the defending national champion Bears staring at a 6-6-3 Hockey East record, a 1-4-1 mark in its last six games and firmly entrenched in fifth place.

Boston College is now 16-7-1 overall, 11-2-1 in its last 14 games, and 9-6-1 in Hockey East. BC and Northeastern are tied for third, four points ahead of Maine.

Maine, 15-6-4 overall, dominated the game, outshooting BC 35-25 and attempting 64 shots to BC’s 34.

It was the first time Maine had been shut out in 81 games.

Sophomore left wing Ales Dolinar’s shorthanded goal 7:29 into the game was the only one BC was to need but junior right wing Brian Gionta added a clinching goal with 7:51 left and an insurance goal 2:48 later.

“The last month has been hard on me,” said Clemmensen, who watched freshman standout Tim Kelleher make 22 stops in Friday’s 3-2 win. “I had been playing well but the bounces hadn’t been going my way. Pucks had been hitting skates and sticks and going in.

“In the first period, a couple of their shots from the point got deflected and went elsewhere and I kind of knew at that point my luck had turned around. That gave me even more confidence,” added Clemmensen, who wanted to atone for a 4-2 loss against Maine on Nov. 14, which he considers his worst performance of the year.

York didn’t decide to play Clemmensen until Saturday morning.

“Scott has played well for us. He deserved a chance. He came up with some spectacular saves,” said York.

Clemmensen stopped clean left-to-right break-ins by Jim Leger and Barrett Heisten and made perhaps his best save off Doug Janik on a three-on-one midway through the third period.

Dan Kerluke dropped a pass to Heisten, whose cross-ice pass went right on Janik’s stick at the top of the crease.

“Clemmensen came across and got a little piece of his pad on it as the puck was going up,” said Janik. “I think I was in a little too tight.”

Clemmensen said since the pass was so close to him “I tried to cover everything low.”

Maine’s Cory Larose said the rebound popped in the air and hit his stick.

“If it had hit the left side of my shaft, it would have gone in the net. But it hit the right side and went a foot wide,” said Larose. “That’s the type of game it was. It was really frustrating.”

Shortly afterward, Gionta split the Maine defense, took a flip pass from Dolinar and beat Maine goalie Matt Yeats (22 saves) to the far side from the right circle.

“It was a nice shot right inside the far post,” said Yeats.

Dolinar’s first-period goal came about when he beat Maine right wing Niko Dimitrakos in a one-on-one by going around him and cutting in right to left.

“I felt a slash on my helmet so I figured he wasn’t going to take the body on me. I took it in and saw the far post peak out at me,” said Dolinar.

“I didn’t play him right,” Dimitrakos said. “I let him get to the outside on me.”

Yeats said Dolinar pulled the puck in “ever so slightly and released it quickly. It went over my pad into the far side.”

Maine’s power play had its 12-game goal streak snapped, going 0-for-7 and managing only two shots on goal over its last six chances.

But Maine coach Shawn Walsh was encouraged by his team’s overall performance.

“I was pleased with everything but the outcome. I told our players the same thing that I told them after the BC loss in the Hockey East tournament a year ago: if we play that well, we’re going to go a long way,” Walsh said.

“Territorially, that’s the biggest advantage we’ve had over BC in a long, long time. We just didn’t score. Scott played very well in net and their defense played really well.”

Eagles 3, Black Bears 0

Boston College (16-7-1) 1 0 2 – 3 Maine (15-6-4) 0 0 0 – 0

First period – 1. BC, Dolinar 6 (unassisted), 7:19, sh. Penalties: Maine, Metcalf, slashing, 1:37; BC, Cass, interference, 6:35; BC, Orpik, interference, 11:01; BC, Bellefeuille, interference, 12:45; Maine, Ek, high sticking, 18:45.

Second period – No scoring. Penalties: BC, Lephart, tripping, 4:23; BC, Orpik, hitting after the whistle, 4:23; Maine, Trattnig, hitting after the whistle, 4:23; BC, Mottau, roughing, 7:58; Maine, Ek, holding, 13:03.

Third period – 2. BC, Gionta 16 (Dolinar), 12:09; 3. BC, Gionta 17 (Hughes, Bellefeuille), 14:57. Penalties: Maine, Walsh, interference, 7:33; BC, Mottau, slashing, 8:42; BC, Gionta, cross checking, 16:36; BC, Hughes, hitting after the whistle, 16:36; Maine, Janik, hitting after the whistle, 16:36; Maine, Shaneberger, hitting after the whistle, 19:39; BC, Caulfield, roughing and hitting after the whistle, 19:39.

Shots on goal: BC 8-5-12 – 25; Maine 8-12-15 – 35

Goaltenders: BC, Scott Clemmensen (35 shots-35 saves); Maine, Matt Yeats (25-22)

High-percentage scoring chances: BC 5-6-5 – 16, Maine 4-8-9 – 21

Power-play Opportunities: BC 0-3, Maine 0-7

Attendance: 5,641 (sellout)