MONCTON, New Brunswick (AP) – Kent Hulst slapped a loose puck into the crease in the second overtime period as the Portland Pirates beat the Moncton Hawks 2-1 Wednesday night in the Calder Cup finals.

Goalie Olaf Kolzig made 49 saves as the Pirates took a 3-1 advantage in the American Hockey League’s best-of-7 series. The teams meet again Friday night in Moncton.

Jeff Nelson scored 20 seconds into the game to give Portland an early lead, but John LeBlanc scored his second goal of the playoffs with 13:07 left in regulation to tie it.

Hulst scored the game-winner in a mad scramble around the net in the second overtime.

Martin Jiranek began the winning play when he shot from the left circle. Mike Boback retrieved the puck behind the net and slid it through a crowd to Hulst, who stuffed it into the goal.

The Pirates are vying to become the second Portland team to win the Calder Cup in its inaugural season.

The Maine Mariners also took the trophy in 1978. The Pirates moved to Maine in 1993 after the close of their final season as the Baltimore Skipjacks. Pirates 2, Hawks 1 (2OT) (Wednesday night)

Portland 1 0 0 0 1-2 Moncton 0 1 0 0 0-1

First Period – 1, Portland, J.Nelson 9 (Picard, Bobak), :20. Penalties – None.

Second Period – None. Penalties – Mathiason, Por (tripping), 1:25; Curran, Por (cross-checking), 19:03.

Third Period – 2, Moncton, LeBlanc 2 (Romanuik, Tomlinson), 6:53. Penalty-Hulst, Por (holding), 3:25.

First Overtime-None. Penalties – Picard, Por (tripping) 12:10; Shannon, Mon (tripping), 12:10.

Second Overtime-3, Portland, Hulst 4 (Boback, Jiranek), 1:41. Penalties – None.

Shots on goal – Portland 11-4-5-5-1-26. Moncton 7-17-15-10-1-50.

Power-plays – Portland 0-0; Moncton 0-3.

Goalies – Portland, Kolzig (50 shots-49 saves). Moncton, Beauregard (26-24).