Lee lifts UML past Maine

Nets two goals, adds two assists

» Call it a Swede

LOWELL win.

Locked in a 2-2 draw after two periods, Umass Lowell turned to two sophomore forwards from Sweden — and Karlstad’s Andre Lee and Hammaro’s Carl Berglund did not disappoint.

Berglund snapped the tie, Lee scored the eventual game-winner on the power play, and the River Hawks skated past Maine, 5-3, during a Hockey East game Sunday at the Tsongas Center.

“We’re obviously glad to come out of the game with a win,” UML head coach Norm Bazin said. “We had everything we could handle (from Maine) and more.”

Lee led the offense with two goals and two assists during the 129th meeting between the schools.

Also scoring for UML (21-0) were Charlie Levesque and Connor Sodergren. Freshman Henry Welsch won his second straight start, turning aside 11 shots.

Defensemen Nolan Sawchuk and Ben Meehan each dished out two assists.

For all the offense, perhaps the most important part of the game was the defensive effort of the River Hawks. Playing without key defensemen Jon Mcdonald, Anthony Baxter and Marek Korensik, UML held Maine to only 14 shots.

“It’s a year of adversity,” Bazin said. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of those guys who came in. I thought the forwards created back pressure to help defense out.”

UML blocked 14 shots, three by Lucas Condotta, to help Welsch immensely.

It took UML only 1:04 into the third period to snap the 2-2 tie.

Defenseman Chase Blackmun sprung Berglund on a partial breakaway with a long pass. Berglund shielded off a Maine defender and sent a low backhander behind Matthew Thiessen (18 saves).

Just 27 seconds later, Maine’s Simon Butala was assessed a five-minute major penalty for boarding Condotta at the UML bench.

Lee made the Black Bears (0-2-1) pay, tucking the puck under the crossbar after a pass was deflected at 3:00. With Butala still in the box, Sodergren added to Maine’s pain. Thiessen made a terrific save on Seth Barton, but he was helpless to deny Sodergren’s rebound at 5:03.

Bazin said scoring the two goals on the five-minute major was a key junction in the game.

“Overall I thought we got a little better as the game went along,” he said.

Maine’s Emil Westerlund made it 5-3 with a power-play strike at 11:58.

Fresh off a 13-game layoff, the River Hawks came out flying in the first period, roaring out to a 2-0 lead.

Levesque made it 1-0 just 2:10 in. Lee passed him the puck at the Maine blue line near the left boards. Levesque almost fell cutting to the middle, but he kept his balance and whistled a 20-foot wrist shot past Thiessen.

Lee doubled UML’S lead at 4:09. The 6-foot-4 left winger kept backing up Maine defenseman Dawson Bruneski. Finally, at the left faceoff circle, Lee uncorked a wrist shot into the Maine cage.

“I felt our line clicked today,” said Lee, who was paired with Levesque and Zach Kaiser to start the game.

UML had two golden chances to extend its lead, but Meehan’s shot clanked off the left post and Barton’s journey behind the cage was unsuccessful when he was denied by Thiessen. Then Maine took advantage of Blackmun’s tripping penalty to get on the board on Brad Morrissey’s power-play strike at 17:11.

Maine played much more physically in the second period. The Black Bears were outshot 11-3 in the middle stanza, but a Ben Poisson goal midway through tied it 2-2 entering the third period.

Donavan Houle, stationed behind UML’S net, fed in front to an uncovered Poisson and Welsch had no chance to stop the 15-foot one-timer at 10:52.

Berglund had UML’S best chance of the period, but his wrist shot on a power play rang off the right post.

Both teams played only their third games of the season. Only Boston University, which has yet to take the ice, has played fewer games in Hockey East than UML and Maine.

UML will host the rematch with Maine on Monday (3 p.m.).

“It’s very, very difficult,” Bazin said of his team’s attempt to get into a rhythm and build chemistry. “The guys are forced to really stay within their apartments. But it’s the new normal for now.”

Heralded RPI transfer goaltender Owen Savory was in uniform but did not get the start.