FINAL SCORE: #5 Maine 4, Vermont 1
ORONO, Maine – Taylor Makar posted a hat trick Friday night leading No. 5 Maine (20-6-5, 12-4-5 HEA) in a 4-1 win over Vermont (11-17-3, 6-13-2 HEA) in Hockey East action from Alfond Arena.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"Credit to that Maine team and Ben Barr," said Head Coach Steve Wiedler. "That's exactly who we want to be two years from now.  I love the blueprint.  We have some of those ingredients right now, but we're inconsistent at it.  I thought we lacked some execution. Especially from our forward group and goaltending. We're going to try some different things between now and tomorrow. Let's see how the boys respond."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Black Bears opened the scoring on the power play with 46 seconds left in the first period. Frank Djurasevic skated into the slot looking to fire on net towards UVM's Axel Mangbo, as he waited Makar opened up on the back door for a tap-in to make it 1-0.
• Vermont had a great opportunity to equalize with a five-on-three power play early in the second period. Maine's Albin Boija made three saves, and a Simon Jellus one-timer rang off the post.
• Makar struck again on the power play with a five-on-three opportunity with 9:59 to play in the second. This time Makar was setting a screen in front of Mangbo and redirected home a Djurasevic point-shot to make it 2-0.
• 9:04 into the third period the Catamounts did capitalize on the power play. Isak Walther redirected a Simon Jellus shot from right in front for his sixth goal of the season. Sebastian Tornqvist earned the secondary assist for Vermont.
• Just 2:06 later Makar struck in transition for Maine to reestablish the two-goal lead and complete his first career hat trick. On the rush Brandon Chabrier shot low for a rebound and it came right to Makar who threw it into the empty net.
• Grayson Arnott closed out the scoring with his second goal of the season 1:31 after the Makar tally.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• With tonight's 4-1 decision, Community Bank N.A. will donate $75 to Special Olympics Vermont. Community Bank, N.A. donates $75 per goal to Special Olympics Vermont for every goal the men's and women's team scores this season.
• Vermont blocked a season-high 21 shots Friday night, led by Sebastian Tornqvist who blocked six.
• Will Zapernick led all Vermont forwards with four shots Friday.
• With his goal tonight Isak Walther has seven points (1 Gl, 6 Ast) in the Catamounts last six games.

UP NEXT
Saturday's matchup with No. 5 Maine will begin at 7 p.m. It will air live on ESPN+ and as always it will also be broadcast live on WVMT (96.3 FM/620 AM) with the voice of the Catamounts Adam Lafleur in the Handy Toyota Broadcast Booth.

For news and updates about the Vermont men's hockey program, follow @UVMmhockey on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and visit UVMathletics.com.
Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the UVM men's hockey program