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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
#17 Maine
Playoff Bound: Mass Attack Sweeps No. 17 Maine, 4-3
March 06, 2010 | Hockey
March 6, 2010
ORONO, Maine - UMass Hockey clinched a spot in the Hockey East playoffs with a 4-3 win and weekend sweep over No. 17 Maine on Saturday night at Alfond Arena. Justin Braun scored two goals in the first period to pace the Minutemen (18-16-0, 13-14-0 HEA), while Paul Dainton backstopped the Mass Attack with 35 saves, including 13 stops in the third period. The Mass Attack will advance to face Boston College in the Hockey East Quarterfinals next weekend.
Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, the Mintuemen had only won in Orono three times in program history. Maine outshot the Minutemen 38-20 for the games, and 14-4 in the third period. UMass was 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Black Bears were 2-for-5 on the man advantage.
The Minutemen came out in the first period looking to continue their play from the first two periods of Friday's game, and the Mass Attack did just that, scoring three goals in the final ten minutes of the opening period. The first came with 9:44 to play when Wellman spotted a loose puck in front of the Black Bear net and quickly buried it for his 20th goal of the season. Wellman started the play by dishing the puck to Doug Kublin at the point, and then heading towards the slot. Kublin sent a wrist shot towards goal, which was blocked by a skater, but Wellman raced to the puck and sent it past Sirman.
UMass made it 2-0 just 1:44 later when Braun took a pass from James Marcou, skated around a Maine defender positioned at the right faceoff circle, then sent a shot from a tough angle on goal that somehow got through Sirman for Braun's sixth goal of the season. Following the goal, Dave Wilson replaced Sirman between the pipes. The Black Bears responded with a goal from Jeff Dimmen with 4:36 left in the period after taking a pass from Will O'Neill, skating through two UMass defensemen and wristing a shot that beat Dainton five-hole.
The Minutemen regained their two-goal lead in the final minute of the period with another score from Braun while UMass was on a five-on-three power play. Braun took a pass from Irwin before sending the puck down to Wellman stationed along the sideboards. Wellman quickly returned the puck to Braun, who rocketed a one-timer that got through traffic and past Wilson.
Maine dominated play in the first few minutes of the second period, maintaining puck control in the Minuteman zone and scoring a power play goal just 2:13 into the frame. With UMass in the penalty box for hitting from behind, Gustav Nyquist netted his 18th goal of the year when he took a pass from O'Neill and wristed a shot through a few skaters and past Dainton.
The Minutemen started to turn the ice in their favor as the period wore on, however, and went up 4-2 with four minutes to play in the stanza on a goal from Brett Watson. Brian Keane began the scoring chance with a steal in the Maine zone. He then went around a Maine defender before sending a pass over to Watson, who roofed a backhand over Wilson for his third goal in as many games.
Dainton stood on his head for Massachusetts during the third period, making several crucial stops to preserve the Minuteman lead. The Black Bears went on a five-on-three power play midway through the period, and Dimmen nearly made it a one-goal game when he fired a shot off the crossbar, but UMass was able to recover and clear the puck. Maine made it interesting with under a minute to play when Brian Flynn wristed a shot past a screened Dainton to close out the scoring.
