ORONO – University of New Hampshire forward Mike Borisenok looked ready to raise his stick in triumph, shooting at an open net in the second period.

But Dan Sullivan’s sliding left pad canceled the celebration.

Sullivan, the University of Maine sophomore goalie, made 32 saves, including some spectacular ones, to lead the Black Bears to a 1-0 win over UNH Saturday afternoon before 4,898 at Alfond Arena.

Defenseman Brice O’Connor scored the only goal when his wrist shot deflected off a Wildcats stick in the first period.

Maine clinched fourth place in Hockey East and will have home-ice advantage in the league’s best-of-three quarterfinals next weekend against fifth-place Merrimack. The first game is 7 p.m. Friday.

“It feels great to win that game,” Maine Coach Tim Whitehead said. “Home ice on the line, the rivalry with UNH, (national) Pairwise points on the line. There were a lot of things up for grabs.”

The Black Bears finished their regular season with a 20-11-3 record, 15-10-2 in Hockey East. They won the season series 2-1 against the Wildcats (14-17-3, 11-14-2).

“Another great game between Maine and UNH,” Wildcats Coach Dick Umile said. “We had our chances. Both goalies played well.”

New Hampshire freshman goalie Casey DeSmith made 28 saves.

Maine took a 1-0 lead on a fluky shot by O’Connor. Skating into the UNH zone, O’Connor wristed a floater toward the goal. It was deflected in the air by Borisenok, and over DeSmith’s blocker at 10:13 of the first period.

“I didn’t see it until the last second,” DeSmith said.

O’Connor, said he “was just getting pucks to the net. Off the stick, a little floater in the air. I didn’t think that would be the goal that would decide the game, but we’ll take it.”

A sophomore from Londonderry, N.H., O’Connor said, “I’m converted to a Maine kid now. You convert quickly when you come up here, and you want to beat (UNH) more than anyone else.”

UNH ended the first period with a flurry, peppering Sullivan. Matt Willows skated into the slot, faked and then fired a shot to the far post. Sullivan kicked it away at the last instant.

“From the bench I thought it was in,” Umile said. “(Sullivan) just made a great toe save.”

Two minutes into the second period, Sullivan stopped a point-blank one-timer.

Then came the save of the game. In the final two minutes of the second period, Sullivan made a stick save on Kevin McCarey. The rebound came to Borisenok’s stick, Sullivan slid over quickly with his left pad, preventing the tying goal.

“I saw an open net,” Borisenok said, “but he stuck his foot out quickly enough to get a pad on it.”

It was Sullivan’s second shutout of the season, his first in a Hockey East game.

“He was tremendous,” Whitehead said. “He’s really emerged as a top-shelf goalie.

“I think the anthem got him going.”

Before the game, Sullivan’s sister, Rebecca, a professional jazz singer living in Chicago, performed a stirring rendition of the national anthem.

“She sounded amazing,” Sullivan said. “I had chills.”

A tough act to follow, but her brother did it.

“It felt great out there,” Sullivan said, “I was totally in the moment.”

Staff writer Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or:

kthomas@pressherald.com

Twitter: KevinThomasPPH

 

Copy the Story Link