BOSTON — Maine has been a dormant program looking to reclaim a dominant position in Hockey East.
Senior center Nolan Renwick scored the game winner at 11:02 in double overtime to lift the Black Bears to a 4-3 victory over Northeastern in the late Hockey East semifinal game on Thursday night at the TD Garden.
“When you get deep in the second overtime, we figured it was going to be a greasy goal to end it,” said Renwick. “I just went and parked myself at the side of the net and Charlie Russell made a great play there.
“He saw me and threw it to that back post and I was lucky it went off me and I was able to end the game.”
Maine improved to 23-7-6 overall, 14-5-0 in the league and will compete in its first Hockey East final since 2014. Maine has won five Hockey East titles, the third most behind BC (12) and BU (10), with the last coming back in 2004.
“You can tell how much the state of Maine cares and that gives us more juice than you could ever imagine,” said Maine coach Ben Barr. “The support we get is incredible and we really feed off of it.”
Northeastern enjoyed an improbable tournament run for a No. 9 seed. The Huskies needed double overtime to win at Merrimack in the opening round before knocking off No. 1 ranked Boston College 3-1 at Conte Forum in the quarterfinals on March 15.
NU became the first No. 9 seed to advance to the semifinals and took No. 4 ranked Maine to double overtime. Northeastern goaltender Cameron Whitehead finished with 57 saves with 21 in the two overtime frames.
“I just can’t say how proud I am of this group,” said NU coach Jerry Keefe. “We were playing a little banged up but I’m proud of the sacrifices they made to do whatever they could. Cameron Whitehead had a great game and I am proud of him as well.”
Northeastern took its first lead of the game with its third unanswered goal by a first-time scorer at 4:29 of the third period. Fourth line sophomore center Andy Moore — a Cumberland, Maine native — flipped a Nick Rheaume rebound past Maine goalie Albin Boija for the first goal of his 68-game college career.
“Moore is one of the more well-respected guys in that room,” said Keefe. “He comes to work every day and I thought that goal gave our team an unbelievable boost.”
Maine tied the game 3-3 on a perimeter shot through a screen by junior defenseman Luke Antonacci at 12:44. The puck appeared to have bounced off the back of Maine right wing Josh Nadeau, but Antonacci was credited with his second of the season.
“As soon as we went down 3-2 the game changed,” Barr said. “Why do we have to go down 3-2 after we are up 2-0? That’s a problem but you just felt it on the bench.”
Maine’s potent offense gained traction after the first media time out and brought the game to Whitehead’s crease with renewed vengeance. On a third straight scrum in the Huskie’s blue paint, NU right wing Christophe Tellier got lugged for roughing at 9:61 in the first period. Whitehead held up in close quarters under Maine blistering power play onslaught to maintain the scoreless tie.
Maine broke the deadlock when junior left-wing Owen Fowler of Tewksbury scored on a breakaway at 14:02 of the first. Fowler caught up to a clear passing from senior center Scott Harrison, skated unhindered down the slot and beat Whitehead five-hole for his ninth of the season. The Black Bears exited the first with a 17-10 lead in shots on goal.
Maine opened the second period with a purpose and made it 2-0 on a sniper shot by Fowler at 2:03. Whitehead stopped a close-quarters shot by Lyden Breen but let the rebound escape to the slot. Fowler ripped a wrister that beat Whitehead to the far post glove side for his second to match.
“He finds a way to score big goals,” Barr said. “I think he has come through for us all year in big moments and he’s a local kid who enjoys playing in this building.”
Northeastern regrouped and made it 2-1 on the power play at 4:01. Joe Connor fired a shot from the right circle that got lost in a chaotic scrum on Boija’s doorstep. Sophomore right wing Dylan Hryckowian crashed the fray and poked in his 11th of the season.
Northeastern had just finished killing when junior left-wing Cam Lund tied the game 2-2 on a breakaway with 49.2 seconds to play in the second. Defenseman Jackson Dorrington’s dish led Lund into the Maine zone and he beat Boija near side his 18th of the season.
Maine will take on UConn in the championship game on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the TD Garden.
