UConn falls to Maine in Hockey East championship

UConn men’s hockey came up short in the Hockey East championship game, falling to the 2-seed Maine Black Bears 5-2. The Huskies started slow and dug themselves into a 2-0 hole in the first period that they ultimately couldn’t recover from. They fall to 0-2 in Hockey East finals.

Hudson Schandor remained out for a second straight game with a lower body injury. In goal, UConn kept the rotation going and started Tyler Muszelik. The junior didn’t have his best night, stopping just 19 of 23 shots.

UConn didn’t do itself any favors in the first period. The Huskies were a step slow to everything and spent most of the time chasing the puck. Maine scored first on a 2v1 rush then added another with a power play goal just a few minutes later. Despite a few good chances from both sides, the 2-0 scoreline held into the first intermission.

Out of the break, UConn came alive and dominated play in the o-zone. The Huskies racked up a 6-1 edge in shots and a 15-2 advantage in attempts but couldn’t find the all-important goal. The Black Bears eventually worked their way back into the game and eventually made it 3-0 late in the second period after UConn turned the puck over in front of its own net.

The Huskies grabbed a lifeline when Tabor Heaslip scored 3:11 into the third but they couldn’t build on it. Maine made it 4-1 with 10:39 remaining, which proved to be the death-knell.

UConn thought it pulled back within two with nine minutes left, only for the goal to be disallowed for offsides. Heaslip added a second with 5:19 remaining cut the deficit to 4-2 to give the Huskies once last gasp, only for Maine to finish it off with an empty-netter with 1:25 remaining.

The loss doesn’t end UConn’s season. The Huskies will qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, which begins next weekend. They’ll learn their matchup and region during the selection show on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPNU.