Live: UNH at Maine

Welcome to Orono, Maine, and Alfond Arena, where the University of New Hampshire hockey team travels to take on archrival Maine in the first of a two-game weekend series. The Black Bears enter unbeaten in their last 13 games with Scott Darling in goal -- and he's there tonight, so this will be a challenge for the first-place Wildcats.

Stay tuned here for details throughout the night.

		WILDCAT GAMECENTER
February 5, 2010 - Alfond Arena - Orono, ME
UNH 2 - MAINE 3 : FINAL
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE (13-9-4, 12-4-3)
LEFT WING	G-A-P	CENTER	G-A-P	RIGHT WING	G-A-P
Thompson	0-1-1	DeSimone	1-0-1	Butler	0-0-0
Sislo	1-0-1	LeBlanc	0-0-0	Moses	0-0-0
Manz	0-0-0	Borisenok	0-0-0	McCarey	0-0-0
Pavelski	0-0-0	Block	0-0-0	Henrion	0-0-0
LEFT D'MAN	G-A-P	RIGHT D'MAN	G-A-P	GOALIE	Saves
Kostolansky	0-0-0	Kessel	0-2-2	Foster	31
Campanale	0-0-0	Kipp	0-0-0	DiGirolamo	NA
Krates	0-0-0	Beck	0-0-0	Scott	NA
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE (13-9-3, 10-6-2)
LEFT WING	G-A-P	CENTER	G-A-P	RIGHT WING	G-A-P
Flynn	0-1-1	House	1-0-1	Nyquist	0-2-2
Abbott	0-0-0	Dee	1-0-1	deKastrozza	0-0-0
Shemansky	0-0-0	Leidermark	0-0-0	Beattie	0-0-0
Diamond	0-0-0	Anderson	0-0-0	Swallow	0-0-0
LEFT D'MAN	G-A-P	RIGHT D'MAN	G-A-P	GOALIE	Saves
O'Neill	0-1-1	Dimmen	1-0-1	Darling	28
Van Dyk	0-0-0	Cornell	0-0-0	Sirman	0
Hegarty	0-0-0	Nemec	0-0-0

*(20:00) - We're underway at a rowdy Alfond Arena.

*(18:30) - The Black Bears have some jump early, and Foster has already been forced to make a couple nice saves in the middle of heavy traffic.

*(15:40) - The nation's top power play gets its first crack, as a forechecking Bobby Butler gets sent to the box for hooking. Maine's converting 30 percent on the season.

*(15:00) - 1-0 UNH - But UNH turns the table. Mike Sislo collected a loose puck in the defensive zone, raced up the right wing with a shorthanded 2-on-2 and lifted the puck past Darling on the glove side. It's the second straight year Sislo has turned his a blocked shot into a shorthanded score at Alfond. (Blake Kessel blocked the shot.)

*(13:40) - UNH kills the penalty to Butler. 

*(11:30) - Despite the UNH lead, Maine has had control of this one thus far. The Bears are trapping in the neutral zone and UNH hasn't really been able to get anything going in transition. As such, the ice has been tilted to the Maine offensive zone.

*(9:30) - Foster with a perfect textbook save on Brian Flynn, sliding to the post when Flynn took a pass from Gustav Nyquist on a quick two-on-one.

*(6:30) - This game still feels like it's the third period, not the first. UNH is spending a lot of effort to get it over the red line and hasn't had much chance to cycle.

*(0:00) - The end of the period was a bit more free-flowing than most of the frame, and although Maine owns the league's best offense, you'd have to think that'd be preferable for New Hampshire. They would rather skate than be bogged down, and if they can get Maine out of the trap the opportunities will come. Maine outshot UNH, 11-7, in the first.

*(20:00) - The tone and tempo of the first period was indeed reflected in the attempted shots. Maine tried 23, while UNH tried nine. The big difference was that the Wildcats blocked seven Maine bids, and five more sailed off target,

*(20:00) - We're underway in the second.

*(17:10) - With freshmen Greg Burke and Dalton Speelman both sidelined by injuries this weekend, UNH is down to the bottom of the depth chart with its forwards -- but so far a few have responded nicely to increased ice time. Kevin McCarey and Greg Manz have both played well so far as part of a makeshift third line.

*(15:45) - 2-0 UNH - Pretty, pretty goal for UNH. The play started with a pretty breakout, as Butler patiently held near his own blue line, and slid a short pass to Kessel. The defenseman found DeSimone in transition then sped up into the rush to make it a 2-on-1. The defenseman took on DeSimone, but the junior center made a beautiful curl-and-drag to step around him, then snapped off a beautiful wrister to beat Darling up high.

*(14:00) - Joe Dimmen commits Maine's first penalty, for boarding, and UNH's power play gets its first crack.

*(13:50) - DeSimone nearly gets his second off the initial faceoff, but Darling slides over to make a terrific stop.

*(12:00) - The Wildcat advantage is over.

*(11:00) - DeSimone's goal extends his personal points streak to eight games.

*(10:29) - UNH's first line each gets a good chance but Darling stands up to each try and keeps the rubber out. UNH is outshooting Maine 7-2 in this frame.

*(9:49) - A pair of Black Bears pile up on top of Foster, whose helmet came dislodged, and who gave a right-handed shove that is about as much demonstrable emotion as you'll see out of the senior from Pembroke. He seems dialed-in so far tonight.

*(8:27) - Not a very smart penalty for UNH's Scott Pavelski. In the lineup only because of the injuries to Burke and Speelman, he took a hack at the goalie after Darling caught his shot in the chest. Slashing is the call.

*(8:04) - 2-1 UNH - The Black Bears needed just 23 ticks to take advantage. Will O'Neill slung the puck behind the net, where Hobey Baker candidate Gustav Nyquist corralled it and make a quick pass to a wide-open Tanner House at the top of the crease. He gave Foster no chance by tucking it into the near-side.

*(8:04) - There's life in the Alfond again.

*(4:41) - A hard rush from the speedy Nyquist creates a hooking call against UNH's Mike Beck. Maine gets its third power play of the night.

*(3:15) - Darling comes up with a huge save, stoning Butler on a shorthanded breakaway. Remember that one as a possible turning point.

*(0:21.3) - 2-2 TIE - A questionable icing call gave Maine an offensive-zone faceoff, and though Foster made the initial pad save on a bullet from Nyquist, Jeff Dimmen was there to get good wood on the rebound and bury it.

*(0:00) - It was a better period for the Wildcats, but they come out of it worse than they went in. The score is even at 2 apiece, making this one a 20-minute hockey game.

*(Intermission) - How big might that goal before the end of the period prove for Maine? Let's put it this way: UNH is 11-0-0 when leading after two periods ... and 2-5-3 when tied after two. Now they're forced to face the latter scenario.

*(20:00) - We're underway in the third.

*(19:16) - 3-2 MAINE - The Black Bears have their first lead of the night. With the puck sitting just off the dot after an offensive zone draw, Robby Dee steps in and puts a rocket past Foster's glove. No chance on that one for the netminder.

*(18:36) - It's like deja vu all over again. Last Friday night, on the road, UNH allowed a 2-2 tie to become a 3-2 deficit in the first minute of the third. They never recovered from that one.

*(15:00) - UNH's first line creates the Cats' first sustained pressure of the period, but Darling gets a piece of a sharp Butler backhand to send it wide.

*(12:30) - Stevie Moses is called for hooking on a back chekc after Foster made a shoulder save. The Black Bears will try and use their best asset to put this one away.

*(12:15) - Foster makes a fantastic sprawling save to rob Bryan Flynn on the doorstep.

*(10:15) - UNH averts disaster and Moses is out of the box.

*(7:30) - The Wildcats create their best chance of the period, as Kessel goes down low to find DeSimone from behind the net, but Darling makes the tight save.

*(5:21) - Nick Krates goes off for hooking, and UNH is forced to play a man down for the fifth time tonight.

*(5:00) - Darling robs Butler on the shorthand again. This time hs was on the backdoor for a feed from Kessel, but the lanky goaltender slid over with his left pad to make the stop.

*(3:52) - UNH will now get its second power play of the night, as Dee is called for holding in the offensive zone. First will come 31 seconds of 4x4 play, then 1:29 of a UNH advantage.

*(2:24) - And now it gets even more interesting. Mark Nemec is called for cross checking, and UNH extends its power play. They'll enjoy 32 seconds of 5 on 3, then 1:28 at 5 on 4.

*(2:24) - Dick Umile takes his timeout.

*(0:03.1) - UNH threw the kitchen sink at Darling, using the top line with Kessel and LeBlanc, but Maine kept it out for the duration of both penalties. UNH pulled Foster with 1:15 left, so it was 6 on 4 for more than 40 ticks, but the Black Bears held it off.

*(0:01.1) - A Maine icing gave UNH an offensive zone draw, but LeBlanc lost it to House, and the puck went to the corner. Here at Alfond the clock never started, and although the 3.1 seconds definitely should've expired, the refs put 1.1 seconds back on the clock.

*(0:00) - DeSimone can't get the puck to the net, and so the Wildcats drop this one after losing a two-goal lead.