UConn men's hockey collapses in 5-3 loss to Maine

A massive third-period collapse doomed UConn men’s hockey in a 5-3 loss to the No. 7 Maine Black Bears at the XL Center on Friday night. The Huskies entered the third period up 2-0 but allowed five goals over the final 20 minutes — including one shorthanded and one on the power play.

UConn jumped out to a 2-0 lead just 4:10 in but couldn’t find another goal despite numerous grade-A chances. Maine got on the board three minutes into the third period but the Huskies answered 3:30 later to maintain their buffer.

After that, the Black Bears scored four unanswered goals to pull off the improbable victory.

Not only did UConn go 2-4 on the penalty kill and 0-3 on the power play, but it also gave up shorthanded and empty-net goals to lose the special teams battle 4-0.

The Huskies took it to Maine in the first period. After scoring 40 seconds into their last home game, the Huskies needed just 26 seconds on Friday. The Black Bears won the draw and took the puck into their offensive zone, but UConn quickly cleared it out. Chase Bradley skated through the neutral zone with the puck and when he crossed over the blue line, he sent a shot on frame and made it 1-0.

A little under four minutes later, Andrew Lucas sent a shot in from the blue line that Tristan Fraser re-directed in front to double the lead just 4:10 in.

UConn had plenty of chances to extend the gap, too. Shortly after the second goal, Matthew Wood put a shot off the bottom of the crossbar that stayed out. Later, he had a breakaway that he couldn’t finish and also had a chance in front but couldn’t lift a back-handed shot over the pads.

The Huskies took the first penalty of the day, but that didn’t slow down their attack. They sent a power kill over the boards had had three dangerous chances near the net before drawing a penalty that wiped out the remainder of Maine’s advantage.

UConn couldn’t find that elusive third goal and went into the first intermission 2-0. That scoreline held into the second intermission as well. The Huskies thought they got one when Hudson Schandor finished a loose puck in the crease but after a review, the goal was waved off for goaltender interference on Bradley. At the end of the period, Joey Muldowney hit the post but it again stayed out.

Early in the third period, Fraser went to the box for tripping and Maine converted on the power play. Still, UConn came back just minutes later to push the gap back to two when Schandor snuck a shot glove-side that trickled over the line.

Then it all fell apart. First, Brandon Holt got a shot off in a crowd of sticks that went off the post and in to the tie the game. Then, Bradley got sent to the box for elbowing and the Black Bears needed just 15 seconds to convert and take their first lead of the game, 4-3.

UConn tried to pull the goalie with two minutes left but Maine immediately won the puck back and fired it into the back of the net before Ethan Haider could get back. That sealed the 5-3 final.

With the win, the Black Bears claim the season series over the Huskies, who fall to 8-10-2 on the year and 4-7-1 in Hockey East. UConn will try to salvage a split in the second game of the series on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.