Men's Hockey's Tirone Makes Career-High 50 Saves in 3-3 Tie with Maine

Friday, December 4

Orono, Maine

7:30 PM

University of New Hampshire

4-6-4, 1-1-4

University of Maine

4-8-4, 2-4-1

OT 1

New Hampshire

Maine

Men's Hockey's Tirone Makes Career-High 50 Saves in 3-3 Tie with Maine

12/4/2015 10:18:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

ORONO, Maine – The University of New Hampshire men's hockey team battled to a 3-3 overtime draw at the University of Maine Friday night at Alfond Arena. Scoring goals for the Wildcats were seniors Dan Correale (Prince George, British Columbia) and Kyle Smith (Lumberton, N.J.) as well as sophomore Andrew Poturalski (Williamsville, N.Y.). Sophomore netminder Danny Tirone (Trumbull, Conn.) made a career-high 50 saves in net.

The two teams square off Saturday night at the Whittemore Center at 7 p.m. Limited tickets remain for the game and can be purchased at www.UNHWildcats.com or by calling the Whittemore Center Ticket Office at (603) 862-4000 extension 5.

The Wildcats now stand at 4-6-4 on the year and 1-1-4 in Hockey East play while the Black Bears are now 4-8-4 overall and 2-4-1 in league play.

The Black Bears went on a power play 3:25 into the first period after a holding penalty on Poturalski. In the closing seconds of the advantage, the Black Bears had a series of opportunities to take the lead, but stellar goaltending by Tirone as well as blocks right on the line by senior captain Collin MacDonald (West Milford, N.J.) kept the game scoreless.

The Wildcats went up on the Black Bears at 9:50 of the first period on a power play goal by Correale. The play started with junior forward Tyler Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) gathering the puck behind the net and playing a pass to Poturalski. Poturalski fired a shot that Maine netminder Matt Morris saved, but Correale was at the top of the crease to put the rebound in the back of the net.

At the end of the first period, the Wildcats held a 1-0 advantage. Tirone had made saves on all 19 shots faced in the frame.

Poturalski notched his second point of the night with a power play goal at the 8:58 mark of the second period to give the Wildcats a 2-0 advantage. Kelleher notched the first assist on the play as he played the puck to Poturalski from behind the net. Poturalski's shot went into the top corner of the net from the slot.

The Black Bears cut the deficit to one at the 10:23 mark of the second period on a goal by Mark Hamilton. Andrew Tegeler got the assist on the play as he fed the puck to Hamilton in front of the net. Maine tied the game at 2-2 at 13:02 of the second period on a shot by Will Merchant. The play was initially ruled a no-goal, but after the officials reviewed, the call was reversed and ruled a goal.

Maine took a 3-2 lead at 14:55 of the second stanza on a goal by Brian Morgan. Morgan initially fired a shot that Tirone made a pad save on Morgan's initial shot, but the Black Bear got his own rebound, skated across the face of the net and fired the puck into the net.

The Wildcats leveled the score at 3-3 at the 18:20 mark of the second period on Smith's second goal of the season. Correale started the rush in the UNH zone as he played the puck to sophomore Shane Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.) in the neutral zone. Eiserman skated in and fired a shot that Morris saved, but Smith put the rebound away for the goal.

At the end of the second period, the score was tied, 3-3.

In the opening minutes of the third period, the Black Bears generated some offense, but Tirone remained resilient in net and denied the attempts, sprawling across the goal.

Each team was determined to take the advantage in the third period, however neither team was able to score and the game was sent to overtime. Through regulation, Tirone had made a career-high 49 saves.

In the overtime period, each team fired one shot on goal, but neither could convert. After a 65-minute battle, the score was finalized at 3-3.

Tirone's career-high 50 saves got him the draw in net as his record now stands at 2-6-4 on the season. Morris made 33 saves on 36 shots faced. His record now stands at 4-2-2. UNH converted on each power play opportunity, finishing 2-for-2 while holding the Black Bears scoreless on one power play.

For more information on men's hockey, visit www.UNHWildcats.com.