Along with Breen’s pure speed with the puck, ability to drive to the net, and work down-low, UNH had trouble keeping the New Brunswickers away from their goal. This forced New Hampshire to commit penalties to try and hold the line at bay. Bradly Nadeau was taken down twice while charging towards the net during the game as UNH scrambled to keep the line contained.

However, these penalties and stoppages in the game allowed New Hampshire to break up Maine’s momentum and start to find their own feet, as they were much more competitive for puck battles in the second period. It was a much more even affair, with neither team being able to dominate and control the game as an enthralling back-and-forth match kept the crowd on the edge of their seat.

Victor Ostman remained largely untested in the Maine net throughout the first two frames. And although Maine couldn’t keep up much possession in the Offensive Zone in the second period, they were mainly able to keep New Hampshire’s offense at a comfortable distance apart from a couple of odd bounces that resulted in mad scrambles, which Ostman and the Defense handled well.

The Black Bear blue line saw all eight defensemen on the roster play as Barr switched up and tinkered with different defensive pairs throughout the night. Besides a few small puck-handling mistakes, David Breazeale had his usual solid game alongside Grayson Arnott, his most regular linemate. The two added a significant offensive dimension to the team that saw them regularly see ice time together on the Power Play. Brandon Holt was given the nod as a starter alongside newcomer Ryan Hopkins, who I thought had a solid game in his first collegiate test, never seeming daunted or overwhelmed by the challenge.

The physical game continued into the third period as Maine drew another penalty and finally capitalized on the Power Play. It was the New Brunswick line again as Bradly Nadeau set up brother Josh, who made a perfect tape-to-tape pass from the goal line to a charging Lynden Breen in the slot. Breen was able to fire it home with ease, making the game 2-0 Bears seconds into the final period.

With their backs against the wall, the Wildcats pressed, getting some consistent offensive-zone time for the first time all game. Perhaps the Black Bears got complacent as the crowd seemed to relax after that second Maine goal. That attitude quickly changed as UNH got right back into the game. A seemingly innocent-looking enough play led to a ridiculously skilled tip in goal that completely handcuffed an exposed and helpless Ostman.

The Black Bears responded well, as for the first time all night, all four lines began to have increased success controlling the game around the UNH net and creating more prolonged pressure. This was primarily due to Maine’s second, third, and fourth lines improving during the contest, finding their offensive feet late in the game. While the second line of Poisson-Renwick-Houle didn’t have much offensive flair earlier in the game, their strong-nosed physical play really started to wear down the Wildcats’ Defense, Leading to the creation of more open opportunities. While the third line of Freel-Scott-Niemo had a strong game overall, they started clicking well together by the third, helping tilt the ice back in Maine’s favor.

But a defensive mis-coverage late in the third led to a UNH player behind Ostman’s net finding an open teammate who snapped a perfect shot, bar-down past the helpless Swedish netminder. The game-tying goal so late in the contest caused an audible groan around the rink as fans were frustrated that Maine, the seemingly better team in the contest, had looked to have thrown away a third-period two-goal lead as they couldn’t seem to capitalize on their increasing number of chances.

I think the most significant positive to take away from this game was how well the Black Bears responded to this adversity. With less than four minutes to play, it would have been the easy thing for them to feel bad about themselves and go, “Oh well, it’s not our night; it’s just preseason; let’s play for the tie.”

But they didn’t take their foot off the pedal. They went up a gear.

The final minutes of the game were dominated by the Black Bears. The one rush New Hampshire did have in the fleeting game was stifled by the Black Bear defense, who quickly turned the play the other way as Breazeale made a world-class pass up the ice to a streaking Lynden Breen who was on a two-on-0 with Josh Nadeau. Breen waited until the last possible second, forcing the goaltender to commit to him, before sliding the puck a few feet to his side, where a waiting Josh Nadeau slotted home his second goal and third point of his first collegiate game and a Black Bear 3-2 lead with less than two minutes to go in the game. 

The rink erupted as the goal went in. It was clear at that moment to all those in attendance that not only did the Black Bears have the skill and ability not seen by a Maine team in a long while, but they had the heart to match. This team wasn’t going to back down from adversity.