AMHERST — UMass dictated the play for most of the game and outshot Maine for all of it. But when the final horn sounded, it was the Black Bears celebrating.
Maine did a better job than the Minutemen at turning opportunities into goals and prevailed 3-2, Friday at the Mullins Center.
“This to me, for the first time this year, was a must-win,” UMass coach Greg Carvel said. “We’re playing a team we’re trying to catch in the standings, a team we played a few weeks ago and played really well. I thought it was set up for us to get home and start winning some games again. … It was a game I thought we needed to have for many reasons. But we move on.”
UMass appeared to be in good shape when Maine’s Canon Pieper was called for boarding with 6 minutes, 5 seconds left in a 2-2 game, but instead it was the Blake Bears that scored with him in the box.
Carrying the puck in short-handed, Rob Michel fired from just inside the right point and the puck caromed off of Matt Murray into the slot. Cedric Lacroix, who’d gambled to join the attack down a man, was rewarded for it as his momentum helped him push the puck past Murray to give the visitors a 3-2 edge with 5:03 left.
UMass (11-12-1, 5-8-1 Hockey East) had third-period chances before and after Lacroix’s goal, outshooting the Black Bears 13-8. Jeremy Swayman continued to be a puzzle as the Maine goalie turned back 28 shots.
The Minutemen kept the puck in the Maine end for most of the final minute with Murray pulled, but passes kept bouncing over sticks as UMass never got a good shot off.
“We were moving the puck the way we wanted to we just couldn’t settle it down,” Carvel said. “It’s frustrating for me. That’s a telltale sign of deeper things of a team that’s a little unsure of itself that lost confidence. We haven’t been able to win a lot lately.”
The teams play again Saturday at 7 p.m.
UMass was again without Cale Makar. Carvel thought the freshman defenseman would be back after Tuesday’s game, but he didn’t dress with an upper-body injury. Carvel said he’s being extra cautious to prevent Makar from burning out after playing in the world junior championships, but the Minutemen are 0-4 without him.
“We really miss him. In games this close, he’s the margin. He’s the difference,” Carvel said. “The games we’ve played without him, he can be the difference. He has that ability.”
Maine (12-9-4, 6-6-3) took advantage of sloppy puck control by the Minutemen in their own end to take a 1-0 lead, 3:43 into the game. From behind the net, Mitchell Fossier cycled counter-clockwise. Murray slid to his right to protect against the wrap-around. Fossier tapped a pass into the slot where Eduards Tralmarks drove into the net before Murray could recover.
Austin Plevy tied the game on the power play with 11:57 left in first. He stepped by the defenseman at the left point and walked in, switching from his forehand to backhand to tuck it by Swayman.
Griff Jeszka had played just seven games all year and none since Nov. 24, but he put the Minutemen ahead 2-1 with 8:29 left in the opening frame. Mario Ferraro carried the puck deep and from behind the net, threading a perfect pass to Jeszka charging toward the goal. The sophomore snapped it past Swaymen for his second goal of the season.
Maine tied the game on the second period’s only goal with UMass serving a too-man-men-on-the-ice penalty. The Minutemen appeared to have dodged a bullet for a moment when Chase Pearson’s shot clanged of the left post, but it caromed right to Michel, who one-timed by Murray (21 saves) with 6:14 left in the period.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage