University of Maine
Vermont
Abbott Leads Maine Past Vermont with Three Goals and Two Assists
12/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Spencer Abbott (Hamilton, Ontario) scored three goals, including tallying the 100th point of his career, as the University of Maine men's ice hockey team defeated Vermont 6-4 on Friday night at Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vt. He also has a pair of assists to finish the night with five points. Brian Flynn (Lynnfield, Mass.) finished the game with four points on a goal and three assists. Maine improves to 5-6-2 on the season and 4-5-1 in Hockey East play. Vermont falls to 3-9-1 overall, 1-7-1 in conference play.
Vermont jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Connor Brickley scored his seventh goal of the season. The Catamounts had an initial shot which Maine goalie Dan Sullivan (York, Pa.), stopped, but the rebound went to Brickley who shot the puck into the net from the bottom of the right face-off circle. Michael Paliotta and H.T. Lenz each assisted on the goal.
Brian Flynn (Lynnfield, Mass.) tied the game for the Black Bears at 14:25 when he one-timed the puck past Vemont goalie Rob Madore. Spencer Abbott (Hamilton, Ontario) assisted on the goal for the Black Bears, as did Nick Pryor (Woodbury, Minn.), who began the play by sending the puck up the ice.
Maine took the lead just over a minute later at 15:34 when Abbott picked up the rebound of a shot and deposited it into the goal from just outside the crease for the 100th point of his career. Will O'Neill (Salem, Mass.) had a shot that Madore saved, but the rebound went right to Abbott. Flynn also assisted on the goal for the Black Bears.
Vermont tied the game at 2-2 just 54 seconds into the second period. Brickley chipped the puck ahead to Lenz, sending him in on a clean breakaway. Lenz beat Sullivan with a low shot to tie the game at 2-2.
Vermont regained the lead at 7:19 of the second period when Drew MacKenzie scored a power play goal. Sebastian Stalberg and Nick Bruneteau each assisted on the goal which gave the Catamounts the lead.
Maine scored a pair of power play goals 24 seconds apart midway through the third period. Maine tied the game when Kyle Beattie (Avondale, Ariz.) fed the puck to Mark Anthoine (Lewiston, Maine) in the left face-off circle. He one-timed a shot past Madore at 8:54. Pryor also picked up an assist on the goal.
Abbott scored his second of the night at 9:18 from Flynn and O'Neill to give the Black Bears the 4-3 lead.
Abbott got the hat trick at 12:05 when he got a pass from Flynn and scored from the far post. For Abbott, it was his third goal of the game and fourth point. Brice O'Connor (Londonderry, N.H.) began the play for the Black Bears.
Joey Diamond (Long Beach, N.Y.) capped the scoring for the Black Bears at 14:21 when he scored on the rebound of a Abbott shot on the far post. O'Neill also picked up an assist on the play, his third assist of the game.
Vermont made it a 6-4 final when Mike Montagna scored a power play goal with an extra attacker at 19:59 from Sebastian Stalberg.
Vermont outshot Maine 33-20 in the game. Maine was 3-for-5 on the power play, while the Catamounts finished the game 2-for-8.
Maine goalie Dan Sullivan stopped 29 shots for the Black Bears. He improves to 4-3-2 on the season. Madore made 14 saves for the Catamounts. He falls to 2-7-1.
Maine and Vermont conclude their two-game Hockey East series on Saturday, Dec. 3 at Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vt.
-U-M-
