DURHAM, N.H. – The University of Maine men's hockey team fought back from a two-goal, third period deficit against rival New Hampshire to force overtime and then got the game-winner from Mitchell Fossier with 21 seconds left to top the Wildcats, 4-3, on Wednesday night at the Whittemore Center. The win moves Maine to 16-11-4 overall and 10-8-3 in league play while UNH falls to 10-15-6 overall and 5-11-5 in Hockey East play.
 
In an exciting opening few minutes, both teams found the back of the net in the first 66 seconds of play. After a strong shoulder save from Jeremy Swayman, Brendan Robbins started the transition game and Keith Muehlbauer was able to put Maine on top just 28 seconds in. After Robbins found Nolan Vesey on the left wing, Vesey turned on his defender and fed Muehlbauer in the middle of the ice for the long-distance wrist shot past Danny Tirone.
 
UNH took less than a minute to answer – with Jason Salvaggio jumping on and finishing a rebound from the left circle – but remained even. Twice in the period, Swayman was able to hug the left post and use his pads to shutdown odd-man looks from the right circle. Maine earned the next good chance of the period after Patrick Holway rushed the puck up the right wing and threw it on net, but Cedric Lacroix's stuff attempt was blocked right on the goal line by a diving UNH defenseman's shin pad.
 
The Wildcats were able to take a 2-1 lead into the first break, though, after a loose puck popped out to Liam Blackburn near the left post and he reached with a backhand to push it into the net.
 
The first 10 minutes of the second period so no scoring – with Patrick Shea's delay and pass to Ryan Smith in the slot just getting a piece of Tirone's pad – but UNH was able to find the net again with 8:46 to play. Anthony Wyse took a pass from Charlie Kelleher towards the right post and finish the backhand. The Black Bears earned a power-play with 5:13 to play in the middle frame and Holway had a couple good looks from the point on one-timers but Tirone was up to the task so Maine entered the third period trailing, 3-1.
 
In search of a goal, Maine fired away in the opening minutes of the final stanza but couldn't move the twine. At the other end, Swayman's blocker save on a 3-on-2 kept the Black Bears in the game. Finally, Lacroix pulled the Black Bears within one when his stick outreached that of a UNH defender and he was able to poke the puck inside the right post.
 
The Black Bears kept grinding to find the equalizer, doing so with 4:46 to play.

After Tim Doherty won the face off back to Alexis Binner at the right point, Binner took a shot that Fossier deflected in the slot past Tirone.
 
Fossier's winner came after the sophomore got a pass from Eduards Tralmaks, followed his own shot and then reached to put in the rebound past an outstretched Tirone.
 
Swayman finished with 37 saves for Maine while Tirone had 39. Maine held the final edge in shots on goal (43-40).

UMaine plays its final regular season game at Alfond Arena on Saturday, Feb. 17 when Boston College comes to Orono.
 
-UMaine-