ORONO-The gap between the powerhouse University of New Hampshire women’s hockey team and the upstart University of Maine has closed dramatically.

But the Wildcats showed the Bears Sunday that they still have a little ways to go.

Senior center Michelle Thornton scored the go-ahead goal and assisted on three others and impressive freshman defenseman Kristen Thomas collected a pair of goals as UNH completed a weekend sweep of the Bears with a 5-2 triumph at Alfond Arena Sunday.

UNH, which blanked the Bears 2-0 on Friday night in Durham, N.H., improved its record to 6-1 overall, 3-1 in ECAC play. Maine, which has lost three straight, fell to 3-3 and 1-3.

“We had a lot of great chances,” said Maine senior defenseman and captain Kelly Nelson. “I thought we outplayed them even-strength. But they capitalized on their power plays.

“We played a lot better than we did Friday night [when they were outshot 33-9 by UNH]. But UNH was the better team today,” added Nelson.

Thomas opened the scoring on the power play with just 50 seconds left in the first period.

But Maine junior center Raffi Wolf equalized on the power play 10 minutes into the second period.

Thornton’s power-play goal 2:53 later and Kali Wilson’s goal 1:18 after that supplied UNH with a two-goal bulge. Annie Fahlenbock made it 4-1 with 5:08 left in the game.

Nelson scored on a two-man advantage with 2:04 remaining but Thomas added an empty-net goal off the rebound of a Thornton shot that hit the post.

UNH received a strong performance from sophomore goalie Jen Huggon, who finished with 24 saves including 16 off high-percentage shots.

“She came up with the big saves when she had to,” said UNH coach Karen Kay.

Maine peppered Huggon in the early going but couldn’t beat her.

The smooth-skating Thomas, the possessor of a blistering slap shot, used a wrist shot to open the scoring as she skated in on Maine goalie Amanda Cronin from the left circle off a face-off win by Thornton and roofed a 10-footer into the short side corner.

Wolf tied it up when she batted Cindy Biron’s thigh-high pass into the open short side.

But Naomi Smethurst was called for checking 2:14 later and UNH capitalized.

Thornton’s 16-foot wrister from the lower left circle off a Kira Misikowsetz pass broke the tie for good.

“I wanted to one-time it but someone poke-checked it,” said Thornton. “I think it deflected in off somebody else. ”

Cronin said, “It changed directions three times. I didn’t know which way to go. It went under me.”

“That was the turning point in the game,” said Maine coach Rick Filighera. “We had just scored and had the momentum but then we took a dumb penalty.”

Wilson made it 3-1 by converting the rebound of a Jaime Van Massenhove shot from the right point with a 10-foot backhander into a half-empty net.

Huggon made three solid stops off Nelson, Jamie Hill and Meagan Aarts early in the third period and Fahlenbock gave her some breathing room by sweeping home a Kristine Butt pass from behind the net.

Nelson scored with a screened high slapper during a two-man advantage with 2:04 left. But it was too little, too late.

Cronin finished with 26 saves.

WILDCATS 5, BLACK BEARS 2 New Hampshire (6-1) 1-2-2 – 5 Maine (3-3)0-1-1 – 2

First period – 1. UNH, Thomas 5 (Fahlenbock, Thornton), 19:10, pp. Penalties: UNH, Stefanilo, interference, 1:01; UNH, Stefanilo, holding, 7:09; Maine, Stevens, tripping, 10:22; Maine, Smethurst, interference, 14:01; Maine, Steblen, interference, 19:04.

Second period – 2. Maine, Wolf 2 (Sjogren, Biron), 10:00, pp; 3. UNH, Thornton 4 (Misikowetz), 12:53, pp; 4. UNH, Wilson 1 (Goulet, Van Massenhove), 14:11. Penalties: Maine, Aarts, roughing, 3:49; UNH, Stefanilo, checking, 9:08; Maine, Smethurst, checking, 12:14.

Third period – 5. UNH, Fahlenbock 3 (Thornton, Butt), 14:52; 6. Maine, Nelson 2 (Biron, Caridade), 17:56, pp; 7. UNH, Thomas 6 (Thornton, Stefanilo), 19:13, en. Penalties: UNH, Wildman, hooking, 16:42; UNH, Thomas, interference, 17:03. Shots on goal: UNH 11-12-8-31; Maine 10-4-12-26 Goaltenders: UNH, Huggon (26 shots-24 saves); Maine, Cronin (30-26) High-percentage scoring attempts: UNH 4-11-5-20; Maine 7-8-8-23 Power-play opportunities: UNH 2-5, Maine 2-5 Attendance: 325