BOSTON – The No. 20/RV University of Maine men's hockey team saw its nine-game unbeaten streak come to an end on Friday night, as the Black Bears fell to No. 10/9 Northeastern, 5-3, in a Hockey East contest at Matthews Arena.
 
Eduards Tralmaks scored the game's first goal while Brady Keeper and Emil Westerlund each found the back of the net. Mitchell Fossier added two assists for his third multi-point game in four outings.
 
Both teams came out flying in the opening minutes. Maine and Northeastern played with pace, rushing end-to-end, with the game's first whistle not coming for over five minutes.
 
Maine capitalized on a power-play chance to open the scoring midway through the period. After Rob Michel took a slapshot from the top of the right circle, the rebound popped out to Tralmaks at the left dot. Tralmaks one-timed it past a lunging Huskies defender into the open net.
 
The Huskies pulled the goal back on Adam Gaudette's power-play one-timer from the left circle. Ninety second later, it was Gaudette again before another power-play goal from Grant Jozefek gave Northeastern a two-goal lead.

Two minutes of four-on-four played allowed Maine to take advantage of some space and create a few chances right before the break, but Northeastern's 3-1 edge remained intact at the first break.
 
Maine's power-play chance five minutes into the second period saw the Black Bears move the puck well – with Fossier and Nolan Vesey both getting good looks – and the team started to gain some more momentum. Later in the period, Jeremy Swayman kept it in Maine's favor with a post-to-post save while the Black Bears were a man down. On that same penalty-kill, Brendan Robbins used his speed to create a short-handed opportunity but Cayden Primeau came up with the stop for the Huskies.
 
It would be the Huskies that got the game's next goal, though, as the puck deflected off Bobby Hampton's stick and into the net. However it would be Maine that scored the final goal of the second period. As Canon Pieper drove wide down the left wing and sent a shot on goal, Westerlund crashed the net and pounced on the rebound. Westerlund knocked the puck home with his backhand for his fourth goal of the season. Swayman's glove save on a door–step chance by Eric Williams kept Maine in the game heading into the final period.
 
Maine continued to fire away at Primeau, and it once again paid off, as the Black Bears pulled within one just under four minutes into the third. Fossier skated won the left wing and anticipated a crashing Keeper to the right post, threading a pass through the slot for a tap-in and the defenseman's sixth goal of the year.
 
Tralmaks earned a power-play opportunity midway through the third, and Maine used it to turn up the pressure on Northeastern. The team fired away in search of an equalizer while Swaym did his job at the other end, squaring up on a short two-on-one break for a chest save.
 
Just when it seemed Maine would net the equalizer, Northeastern broke the other way and finished off a two-on-one. The goal was reviewed for offsides but ultimately upheld for the final 5-3 score.
 
Swayman finished with 33 saves for Maine while Primeau had 30 for Northeastern. The Huskies (13-5-3, 9-3-1 HEA) held the final edge over Maine (11-8-2, 5-5-1 HEA) at 38-33.
 
Maine and Northeastern close out the regular season series tomorrow night, with puck drop set for 5 p.m. at Matthews Arena.