Cedric Lacroix scored a pair of goals Saturday night to help the University of Maine men’s hockey team snap a three-game winless streak.
In front of 3,499 spectators at the Cross Insurance Arena, the Black Bears defeated Brown, 5-1.
Rob Michel, Cam Brown and Blaine Byron also scored for Maine (5-7-3). Brendan Robbins had two assists, and Eric Schurhamer, Patrick Holway, Chase Pearson, Michel and Brown contributed one each.
“We got efforts from lots of different guys so there were a lot of positives,” Coach Red Gendron said. “We had a bunch of different guys get bottom-line offense, meaning they ended up on the score sheet.”
Gendron said he expects as much from players such as Byron, who has scored seven goals this season, and Brown, who has 10 assists.
“Guys like Cedric Lacroix and Brendan Robbins, people who don’t usually put up a lot of points, had big nights,” Gendron said. “That was important.”
Sam Lafferty scored the only goal for Brown (1-8) in the second period from Ben Tegtmeyer.
Maine held a 32-29 advantage in shots.
Rob McGovern finished with 28 saves for Maine, 11 in the first period.
“I enjoy a lot more shots because it keeps you more engaged in the game,” McGovern said. “We didn’t have a great start but I thought we responded pretty well.”
In the opening 10 minutes, Brown outshot Maine 8-2 and finished the period with an 11-10 edge.
“In the first period, we weren’t chipping the puck by them,” McGovern said. “We played well after that.”
Michel opened the scoring 6:03 into the second on a five-on-three power play for his third goal of the season.
Lacroix added another goal for the Black Bears 17:45 into that period from deep on assists by Robbins and Schurhamer.
“Honestly, I didn’t have to do much work,” Lacroix said. “It was my linemate Brendan Robbins. He wheeled around the circle and I just kind of parked my butt in front of the net. It just hit my stick and went in.”
Lafferty then cut Maine’s lead to 2-1 with 30 seconds left in the period.
“If one goes in, no one hangs their head,” McGovern said. “They just go out and battle.”
The Black Bears pulled away in the final period with three goals. Lacroix scored again with 12:44 left on another Robbins assist – tapping in the puck to pull the Black Bears up 3-1.
Brown added a power-play goal a minute and a half later on assists from Pearson and Michel.
Byron capped Maine’s scoring with an empty-net goal on another power play with nine minutes remaining.
Brown goalkeeper Tim Ernst recorded 24 saves and Connor Maher had three.
Brown and Maine have met 13 times with the Black Bears leading the all-time series, 11-2.
The win was Maine’s first since Nov. 11 when it downed the UMass-Lowell, 5-2. The Black Bears then fell to the same team before an 0-1-1 two-game series against Vermont last weekend.
Maine will play next on Friday at New Hampshire.
“I think everyone contributed tonight,” Brown said.
“We needed that – we needed a big confidence boost. Hopefully we can keep that rolling into next weekend.”
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