Live: UNH at Maine

Welcome back to Orono, Maine, where the University of New Hampshire hockey team looks to avenge last night's 3-2 defeat in the rubber match of the season series between the rivals. UNH was in position to win last night, leading by two midway through the second, but the Black Bears capitalized on a couple of breakdowns they'll try and correct tonight.

Stay tuned throughout the night for updates.

		WILDCAT GAMECENTER
February 6, 2010 - Alfond Arena - Orono, ME
UNH 3 - MAINE 6 : 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	0-1-1
Sislo	0-0-0	LeBlanc	1-0-1	Moses	0-1-1
Henrion	1-0-1	Borisenok	0-0-0	McCarey	0-1-1
Manz	0-0-0	Hardowa	0-0-0	Pavelski	0-0-0
LEFT D'MAN	G-A-P	RIGHT D'MAN	G-A-P	GOALIE	Saves
Kostolansky	0-1-1	Kessel	0-0-0	Foster	26
Campanale	0-0-0	Kipp	0-0-0	DiGirolamo	NA
Krates	0-0-0	Beck	0-1-1	(None dressed)	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	2-0-2	House	0-0-0	Nyquist	0-0-0
Abbott	0-0-0	Dee	1-0-1	deKastrozza	0-1-1
Shemansky	0-1-1	Leidermark	0-0-0	Beattie	0-0-0
Diamond	1-0-1	Andersson	1-0-1	Swallow	0-0-0
LEFT D'MAN	G-A-P	RIGHT D'MAN	G-A-P	GOALIE	Saves
O'Neill	0-1-1	Dimmen	0-2-2	Darling	23
Van Dyk	0-0-0	Banwell	0-0-0	Sirman	NA
Hegarty	0-0-0	Nemec	0-0-0

*(Pregame) - One change to the Wildcat lineup tonight, as Austin Block is a healthy scratch and Connor Hardowa -- who hasn't played forward in as long as he can remember -- is the center on the fourth line. To fit him in, Greg Manz moves to the fourth line while John Henrion slides up to the third.

*(20:00) - We're underway at Orono.

*(19:35) - Good start for the Wildcats, as Tanner House is called for boarding in the offensive zone and the Wildcats get an early power play.

*(17:35) - The Wildcats' advantage is over without a shot on goal -- or even a shot attempted.

*(15:29) - After the whistle, Jeff O'Neill apparently took a hack at the left knee of Bobby Butler, who went down in a heap -- and convinced the referees to send O'Neill to the sin bin. Butler didn't miss a shift.

*(14:01) - UNH spent 3:29 of the first 5:59 on the power play, but it took that long to get their first shot on goal.

*(13:29) - The Wildcats are now 0-for-2 with the extra skater, and have totaled one shot on net. Remember that if this is a one-goal game later on.

*(11:33) - 1-0 UNH - The Wildcats used some tough, physical play to win the puck at the side of Foster's net, and then John Henrion started up the ice with Mike Borisenok in a two-on-two rush. He kept the puck and fired high, beating Scott Darling on the glove side. It's the freshman's second goal of the season.

*(10:15) - The Wildcats keep up the pressure, and nearly get another one -- but Stevie Moses is denied by Darling's left pad.

*(9:35) - UNH goes to the box for the first time tonight, with Butler sent off for hooking.

*(8:21) - A dust up between Blake Kessel and Jeff Dimmen sends those two to the box, but the teams stay five on four.

*(7:35) - Butler is out of the box, and Maine is 0-for-1 with the advantage.

*(5:30) - The Black Bears have had Foster scrambling a few times, but the UNH goalie has done a good job of recovering.

*(5:15) - UNH misses a golden chance, as a nice no-look, behind-the-back pass from Stevie Moses gives Mike Sislo half a net to shoot at -- but he fired wide on the short side.

*(3:37) - Paul Thompson misses on a hip check but manages to nip a Black Bear with his leg, and so the Wildcat junior goes off for tripping.

*(1:37) - UNH kills the penalty, and Maine is 0-for-2.

*(1:30) - 2-0 UNH - Patience is a virtue. And apparently Peter LeBlanc is a virtuous man. He took the puck into the zone to kill off the Thompson penalty, and stickhandled near the right-wing half-wall before giving the puck to Stevie Moses. After making that short pass he circled to the slot, and Moses slithered a nice pass through the defenders between them, setting up LeBlanc for a snipe that whistled by Darling's right side before the goalie could react.

*(0:00) - On the final rush of the period Maine's Tanner House got a bit too aggressive, and was called for interference. He'll have to serve his sentence at the start of the period.

*(0:00) - As the score would indicate, it was a pretty good opening stanza for the Wildcats. Although it started with their failure to convert a pair of early power plays, they twice thwarted Maine's dangerous attack with their own penalty kill, and used a pair of nice shots to grab the lead. They were outshot 11-9, but it'd be hard to argue they were outplayed.

*(20:00) - The middle stanza is underway here at Alfond, with UNH enjoying a two-minute power play to start. During this advantage they might want to aim high, so to speak. All four UNH goals on the weekend have been elevated on the 6-foot-5 netminder.

*(18:00) - UNH doesn't make much noise with its power play chance, and the Cats are 0-for-3 tonight.

*(13:58) - Maine gets its third power play of the night, as Gustav Nyquist sticked around the defense and Mike Sislo was given no choice but to wrap his arm around one of the nation's premier players.

*(13:14) - 2-1 UNH - After Foster made the initial stop, and the puck moved behind the net, Brian Flynn banked it off the goalie's right side and into the cage to bring the Black Bears within one.

*(12:17) - 2-2 UNH - And less than a minute later, this is a new hockey game. The first shot got caught up in traffic, hitting some skates out front, but Robby Dee found it there and quickly snapped off a bullet over Foster's right shoulder.

*(12:17) - That's the fourth time in six games that UNH has relinquished a two-goal lead. 

*(11:51) - UNH has a chance to take back the momentum here, as they get their fourth power play chance. House is in the box.

*(9:51) - It was UNH's best power play of the night, but ultimately it was just as fruitless as the first three, and the Wildcats are 0-for-4 with the extra skater.

*(6:15) - Two of Hockey East's top goalies trade terrific saves at each end, as Darling goes to a full split to get his left pad on a shot from Henrion, and Foster catches a bullet between his pads after the puck transitioned the other way.

*(5:30) - For the first time this weekend, Foster looks a little shaky. One puck nips his glove and rolls barely wide, while another bounced by the post while he was still trying to recover.

*(2:57) - Gustav Nyquist, Maine's leading scorer, is led off the ice by a trainer with what appears to be a leg injury. We;ll keep an eye on whether he comes out for the third.

*(1:31) - 3-2 MAINE - Lifting the stick of defenseman Nick Krates in a battle for the rubber behind the net, Theo Andersson scooped the puck and took it to the goal line extended, then whisked it through Foster for the go-ahead goal.

*(0:00) - The second period is over, with Maine firing 18 shots on Foster for the frame (UNH had 14 on Darling) and putting three of them in the net. To remind you, the Wildcats are winless this season when trailing after two periods.

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

*(17:22) - Kessel knocks down Joey Diamond after the fight for the puck had already moved up the boards, and is called for interference. If Maine can capitalize here, that could be the death knell for the Wildcats tonight.

*(16:49) - In the first 33 seconds, Foster has had to make a couple of tricky tip saves. Maine is so, so good at getting bodies to the front of the net.

*(15:39) - Josh Van Dyk tees one up from high in the left faceoff circle, but it skips off the top of the crossbar and out of play.

*(15:24) - 4-2 MAINE - With two seconds left on the penalty to Kessel, Jeff Dimmen through a lot shot toward the cage, and because Joey Diamond beat Brett Kostolansky out of the corner he was able to get to the puck just before it reached Foster. He collected it, and with the goalie having already butterflied to make the save on Dimmen, Diamond was able to lift it by him without much resistence.

*(12:45) - The Wildcats' top line puts some pressure on Darling, but can't get off anything clean, and come away empty.

*(10:41) - 4-3 MAINE - For the first time this weekend, the Wildcats respond. Phil DeSimone fanned on his first try from the slot, but he got another crack on his backhand, and he had enough on that chance to sneak it through Darling. It's a one-goal game again.

*(9:01) - UNH carrying the play here after the DeSimone goal that gives him a nine-game points streak.

*(6:15) - Foster keeps UNH alive by squaring up a Robby Dee shot and taking it off the chest.

*(3:55) - We've reached the night's final TV timeout.

*(1:55) - UNH's second line just spent its entire shift in the offensive zone, as Maine has really started to play prevent defense.

*(1:38) - 5-3 MAINE - This one's all but over. Brian Flynn knocked the puck away from the Wildcat defense and walked in on Foster alone. He finished the breakaway on his forehand.

*(1:38) - Flynn's second of the night incites the Maine fans to throw onto the ice the free towels they received when arriving tonight.

*(1:00) - Foster is out of his net.

*(0:41.7) - 6-3 MAINE - Tanner House finishes into an empty net to make this one official.

*(0:00) - This one's over. It's a lost weekend for New Hampshire, which has now lost three of four.