ORONO — The Maine hockey team was ready to stir the echoes of glories past Friday night at Alfond Arena. But it was the star of the present that caused the biggest stir.

Boston University freshman center Jack Eichel grabbed a weak Maine pass in his end and beat three defenders down the ice to set up a short-handed goal that proved decisive in a 3-1 Terriers win.

Maine (3-7-1, 2-3 Hockey East) honored its 1999 national championship team before the game, bringing the crowd of 4,919 to its feet.

Connor Leen kept them there with a goal 1:13 into the game, backhanding the rebound of his own blocked shot into the far corner past goaltender Matt O’Connor. But the Black Bears couldn’t solve O’Connor again, despite great opportunities on the power play in the second and third period.

The No. 3 Terriers (6-1-1, 4-1-1) slowly took control.

“Any time you come up here you really need to weather the storm because sometimes I feel like we’re the New York Yankees. People love to hate us. They sure love to hate us up here, I know that,” BU Coach David Quinn said. “I felt that we responded well.”

The Terriers tied the score with a power-play goal at 8:48 of the second period when Evan Rodrigues slid the puck across the ice to Anti Oksanen, who didn’t miss with his one-timer.

The pivotal sequence came late in the second period. Maine got great individual efforts from Blaine Byron, who went to the ice to block a shot in the crease as a BU power play ended and sprung Devin Shore for a breakaway. Shore forced a Nick Roberto holding penalty to put Maine a man up with 28 seconds remaining.

But Eichel, a potential No. 1 pick in the next NHL draft, jumped on a loose puck and showed the speed that has enabled him to score at least a point in each of his first eight collegiate games. He went around three Black Bears and charged the net before flipping a pass to Danny O’Regan, whose shot deflected in off goalie Sean Romeo.

“I didn’t want to cheat and give Eichel a shot. I knew he was such a great player he’d put it away,” Romeo said. “So I stayed with him, but I kind of had an idea he was going to pass it. He came in stickhandling and didn’t come down open to shoot it. So I got a good read on it, got over there and it just hit me and went over me.”

Maine carried 1:32 of power play into the third period but Leen said the short-handed goal weighed on the Black Bears.

“That deflates a team no matter who you are. That was definitely a tough one to swallow,” he said. “We didn’t come out hard enough in the third and they took it to us.”

Maine got three good shots on a later power play but nothing to show for them. Eichel ended any suspense with an empty-netter with 37.8 seconds left.

Leen, a senior, said there were plenty of lessons his team needs to apply to the rematch.

“We’ve got to compete harder. They brought the game to us. We were on our heels too much,” he said. “I thought the biggest thing was the neutral zone play. There was a lot of open space for them to kind of come in and head fake, and do what they want. We need bodies on them, just get in their faces more.”

There is a need for urgency. Maine is on a three-game skid. And next time there won’t be any stars of yesteryear around to help push the Black Bears.