FINAL SCORE: No. 12 Vermont 6, Maine 3
ORONO, Maine – 12^th-ranked Vermont scored four unanswered goals, including a pair from Mario Puskarich in the second period, and coasted to a 6-3 non-conference victory over Maine on Friday night at Alfond Arena. The Catamounts captured their third straight win and improve to 10-3-1 (7-3-1 HEA), while the Black Bears suffered their sixth straight loss while falling to 3-10-1 (2-5-0 HEA).
 
Jake Fallon posted a four-point game in his 100^th collegiate contest, and linemate Kevin Irwin registered his first career three-point performance. Mike Paliotta also collected three points in the victory as 10 different players scored at least one point. Brody Hoffman stopped 20 shots in net for his eighth win of the season in 10 starts.
 
"We found a way to win in a very tough environment. We got better and better as the game went on," said head coach Kevin Sneddon. "We made some nice plays. The Kevin Irwin-Jake Fallon-Brady Shaw line was very productive and Mario scored a couple of goals, which is always a good thing."
 
Irwin opened the scoring just 2:12 into the first period as he followed a rebound after a slap shot from Fallon. Matt Morris kicked the puck out into the low slot and Irwin slid a shot into the net for his third of the season. Nick Luukko picked up the secondary assist on the play.
 
Brian Morgan then answered with two goals in less than four minutes as Maine stormed into the lead. After a UVM turnover at the right point, Morgan wristed a shot into the upper left corner while falling to the ice to tie the game at the 11:40 mark. The forward then finished a wraparound at the right doorstep at 15:36 after a scramble at the opposite post.
 
Puskarich brought the Catamounts level five and a half minutes into the second period on Vermont's first power play of the night. Fallon fired a cross-ice pass to the left point for Paliotta, and Puskarich redirected his shot into the right corner with his left skate at the edge of the crease.
 
10 seconds later, Connor Leen threw a weak angle shot on goal from the left corner and it snuck past Hoffman short side as the Black Bears recaptured the lead. Puskarich had the answer once again within a minute as he fired a wrist shot high glove side on Morris from the left faceoff circle. Colin Markison and Paliotta collected the assists as UVM tied the game again at 6:29.
 
Paliotta put the Cats on top for good with five minutes left in the frame as he rifled a slap shot five-hole through the pads of Morris off a feed from Irwin. Vermont capped off its four-goal second period at 16:32 with another outside shot. Chris Muscoby sent a wrist shot through traffic from the left point, and Jarrid Privitera deflected the puck inside the right pipe for a 5-3 advantage.
 
UVM struck quickly at the 30 second mark of the third as Brady Shaw sprung Irwin and Fallon on a 2-on-1. Irwin delayed down the right wing before centering a pass to Fallon, who stuck home a one-timer from the top of the crease for a three-goal cushion.
 
The Catamounts kept the Black Bears at bay for the rest of the period and finished off their 10^th win of the year. Vermont was 4-for-4 on the penalty kill to push its mark to 13 in a row over the last four games. UVM is 6-for-12 on the power play in the last three contests after a 1-for-5 showing on Friday.
 
Vermont and Maine close out their non-conference series on Saturday (Nov. 29) at 7 p.m. from Alfond Arena. Pre-game radio coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. on WVMT 620-AM and SportsJuice.com with Alastair Ingram and Andy Merritt on the call. The game will be televised on Fox College Sports and by WVII and WPME in Maine. Live pay-per-view video is also available via GoBlackBears.com.