Umaine Hockey wins double extension thriller on Way to Hockey East Final

University of Maine Senior Center Nolan Renwicks Doel on the 11:02 Mark of the second extension, on the Black Bears 61st Shot on Doel, gave Umaine a 4-3 victory at Northeastern University in their Hockey East Semifinal in the TD Garden in Boston on Thursday evening.

The second black bears placed, 23-7-6 and in fourth place arranged in both national polls, will now take the fourth seed UConn in Friday 7.30 pm title match. UConn, 22-10-4, scored five unanswered goals after spotting Third Seed Boston University the game opening goal and triumphed 5-2 to extend his undefeated series to nine games (8-0-1).

Northeastern, the first ninth seed that a hockey East-Halve Final in the competition history that goes back to the 1984-85 season, ended 14-20-3.

It will be the first appearance of Umaines in a Hockey East Championship match since 2012, when the Black Bears lost to Boston College 4-1. They will look for their first title since 2004 when they defeat Umass 2-1 in triple overtime hours.

We have a real putsy group, said Umaine head coach Ben Barr after the victory.

The second placed black bears, ranked in fourth place in both national polls, came on Thursday evening Hockey East Semifinal match with a 14-1 record in matches in which it jumped to a 2-0 lead.

But the desperate Husky's, who had to win the tournament to earn a NCAA tournament berth, scored three unanswered goals to take the lead before Umaine Junior Luke Antonacci scored at 7:17 to force the overtime.

After a scoreless first overtime, Renwick decided it from a pass by Charlie Russell.

Russell maneuvered smartly in the open ice in the right faceoff circle and passed the puck to the distant pole where it hit the bone of the squatted Renwick and went to Renwick's ninth goal of the season.

'I don't know if [Russell] The intention to hit me with that one, but the right place, the right moment and I can't complain about it, Renwick said during a TV interview after the victory.

Umaine goalkeeper Albin Boija ended with 33 Saves and Cameron Whitehead made 57 for Northeastern.

Umaine tried 138 shots to Northeasterns 69.

“We knew it would be a big. Their keeper played excellent, Renwick said after the victory. What, we made 60 shots on him? So that was a kind of way of thinking. We would go to the net, and I just hoped you hit me. And it went in, so I was pretty pumped.”

Northeastern University Sophomore Center Andy Moore from Cumberland scored his first collegial goal in his 68th career match 4:29 in the third period.

But Antonaccis second career goal and second in three games forced overtime.

Antonacci received the equalizer with a wrist shot from the high lock of a Harrison Scott Faceoff victory.

Antonacci maneuvered neatly around a diving husky and broke a wrist shot that defeated Whitehead.

Umaine had taken a 2-0 lead on two goals from Junior Left Wing Owen Fowler.

Sophomore right wing Dylan Hryckowian and junior left wing and linemate Cam Lund scored a second period goals for Northeastern to bind the match after Fowler had scored a goal of the first period and an early goal goal.

Moore gave the huskies their first lead when he surpasses Umes Sully Scholle for the net and pushed a backhander along Boija from a rebound by Nick Rheaume.

Fowler opened the score on the 14:02 of the first period when he came out of the penalty box, took a feed from Scott and only broke on Whitehead before firing the puck between the goalkeepers' legs.

He made 2-0 of just 2:03 in the second period when he returned to a Lynden Breen and wrist it along Whitehead with his 10th goal of the season.

Hryckowian started the comeback just 1:59 later on the Power Play.

Lund Pols a puck on the net and Joe Connor has diverted it on the net.

Boija made the salvation but the rebound was in the fold. Umaine defender Frank Djurasevic took a wipe to it and it hit Boijas been and squirted to Hryckowian, who stuck it home before his 17th season.

Lund scored his 18th with only 49 seconds in the period on an escape.

Jackson Dorrington came out of the penalty box and screwed the needle to Lund with a pass, which Boija defeated to the glove side of 12 feet.

Renwick was asked about the resilience of Umes in the interview after the game.

“I think it is only the boys we have in that dressing room, Renwick answered. Many teams, when you lose about two goals, especially in the third period and you give up that third, they pack it and stop. Not us, we stop. And acknowledge Luke Antonacci, he stepped there.”

Barr said he thought his team was playing very well, especially after we dropped 3-2 in the third period.

I was proud of the way the boys hung there, Barr added.

He said you don't want to go down 3-2 after you rose 2-0, but the boys found a different level, which was good to see.