BOSTON — The hockey rink at Fenway Park stretched from shallow left field to shallow right field.

Think of Andrew Benintendi manning left, and Mookie Betts in right – two of the Boston Red Sox’s top defenders – and you get an idea how well Rob McGovern played in goalie Saturday.

With the Green Monster in the background, UMaine players warm up before the start of Saturday's game against Connecticut at Fenway Park in Boston. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer)

In a view from centerfield, UMaine players warm up before the start of Saturday's game against Connecticut at Fenway Park in Boston. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer)

McGovern handled everything that came his way, making 31 saves in Maine’s first shutout this season. The Black Bears beat Connecticut 4-0 in another edition of the Frozen Fenway series.

Maine likes these outdoor games, now 3-0 at Fenway dating to 2012.

The Black Bears scored in every period – on goals from Cam Brown, Blaine Byron and Rob Michel – and then Nolan Vesey added an empty-netter.

Nice offense, but that didn’t win this game for Maine (8-11-3, 2-7-1 in Hockey East). The Black Bears fixed their defense, which had given up 26 goals in its last six games, including a 6-3 loss Thursday at Connecticut (9-8-6, 5-4-2).

“We had a lot of defensive lapses Thursday,” said Michel, a defenseman. “It’s what we worked on Friday.”

During practice at Fenway on Friday, McGovern from Weymouth, Massachusetts, had a good vibe.

“I felt very comfortable,” McGovern said. “And then again in warm-ups … (In the game), the defense kept everyone outside, which made it a lot easier.”

McGovern is being humble. He also stopped two breakaways and a point-blank one-timer.

“McGovern played well,” UConn Coach Mike Cavanaugh said. “We didn’t play a bad game. We just didn’t score. It’s a game of battles and Maine won more than we did.”

Those won battles resulted in a 44-31 shot advantage.

“A terrific game for our team,” Maine Coach Red Gendron said. “We played with great intelligence most of the game. We got pucks deep and pucks to the net.”

That trend started early. Byron dug out a puck in the UConn zone and passed behind the net to Brown. Brown skated out, turned as he was about to be hit by a defenseman, shot and scored inside the far post after 2:33.

It was the first of three goals from Maine’s top line. Brown assisted on the other two.

“Byron and Brown were terrific,” Gendron said. “Most nights they are on the scoresheet. They were exceptional defensively tonight. That was a huge piece of the pie.

“When you can get out and score two, three goals as a line, and you don’t give up any, that makes it a special performance.”

Near the end of the third period, UConn freshman Ben Freeman of Falmouth centered a pass to the slot, where Spencer Naas snapped off a shot. But McGovern was in position.

“We know what he’s capable of,” Michel said.

McGovern didn’t face a shot for the first 10 minutes of the second period as Maine dominated. Maine broke through at 10:54.

UConn goalie Adam Huska came out to make a diving poke-check on Brendan Robbins. Before Huska could get back, Michel sent the puck in and Byron redirected it in for a 2-0 lead.

In the third period, Michel scored on a slap shot at 7:55 as the Black Bears eyed their first Hockey East win in two months.

Vesey scored the empty-netter at 1:57.

NOTES: An attendance figure wasn’t announced but the crowd was about 6,000. … Maine’s win was its first victory outside the state this season. It was also the first win over UConn since the Huskies became a Division I team, evening the overall series 3-3-3. The Huskies went Division I in 1998 and joined Hockey East in 2014. … Maine hopes its road success continues in its next game Friday at No. 5 Boston University (13-5-2, 6-2-2). Maine and BU will then play the next day at Alfond Arena. … The Black Bears have one more game in Portland, Feb. 10 vs. Notre Dame … One of the more special events at Frozen Fenway was an unpublicized scrimmage Friday featuring Falmouth (Massachusetts) High School, which is dealing with the death of two team captains in a car crash three weeks ago.

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