DURHAM, N.H. – Junior forward Angus Crookshank (North Vancouver, British Columbia) scored two goals to lead the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team to a 6-2 victory over Maine on Saturday at the Whittemore Center. The Wildcats improve to 1-0-1 (1-0-1 HEA) and the Black Bears fall to 0-1-1 (0-1-1 HEA).
Junior forward Jackson Pierson (Zionsville, Ind.) and senior captain Charlie Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) also turned in multi-point performances, while freshman Cam Gendron (Hampstead, N.H.) and sophomore Joe Hankinson (Hopkins, Minn.) both scored their first career goals and also recorded assists.
UP NEXT: UNH will host Merrimack on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. at the Whittemore Center on NESN+ and College SportsLive.
Score: New Hampshire 6, Maine 2 Records: New Hampshire (1-0-1, 1-0-1 HEA), Maine (0-1-1, 0-1-1 HEA) Location: Durham, N.H. (Whittemore Center) Date: Friday, December 12, 2020 Video Highlights • Box Score • Photos
HOW IT HAPPENED
Angus Crookshank scored two goals (Photo by Michelle Bronner)
Maine got off to a fast start scoring 4:50 into the game on the power play when Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup wristed one glove side from the top of the slot.
Crookshank evened the score with 9:18 left in the first period on the power play from just above the crease. Sophomore defenseman Kalle Eriksson (Leksand, Sweden) and Kelleher notched assists on the goal.
Senior assistant captain Benton Maass (Elk River, Minn.) gave UNH the lead after he had drawn a penalty and while the referee's hand was in the air, Matthew Thiessen kicked a rebound out to the left circle where Maass was there to bury it. Sophomore Lucas Herrmann (Lancaster, N.Y.) and Hankinson posted assists on the goal.
Senior Benton Maass scored a goal and blocked three shots (Photo by Michelle Bronner)
UNH increased its lead to 3-1 just 46 seconds later on the power play when senior assistant captain Patrick Grasso (Ankeny, Iowa) found a loose puck sitting on top of the crease and flipped one over Thiessen's shoulder. Kelleher and Pierson received assists on the goal.
After the first period, UNH outshot Maine 12-9. The Wildcats were 2-2 on the power play and the Black Bears were 1-1.
Maine made it 3-2 after Emil Westerlund scored off of a rebound on the power play with 12:52 left in the second period. Schmidt-Svejstrup and Brad Morrissey were credited with the assists.
Senior goaltender Mike Robinson (Bedford, N.H.) made a string of important saves on a Black Bear power play in the back half of the second period.
At the end of two periods, Maine had outshot UNH 22-20. The Black Bears' power play was 2-5, while the Wildcats were 2-3.
Crookshank potted his second of the game as he caught a pass from Pierson and sped around the Maine defense along the right wing, cut towards the net, and flipped one past Thiessen to make it 4-2 UNH with 16:36 remaining in the third period. Freshman defenseman Nikolai Jenson (Cold Spring, Minn.) was also credited with an assist.
Cam Gendron scored his first collegiate goal (Photo by Jack Bouchard)
Gendron netted his first career collegiate goal after he laid a hit on a Maine player, found the puck and let one rip from the bottom of the right circle short-side top shelf with 8:07 left in the third period.
Hankinson scored an empty net goal for his first career goal with 1:36 remaining in the third period.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Mike Robinson made 32 saves to improve to 1-0-1 on the season (Photo by Michelle Bronner)
Robinson made 32 saves and improves to 1-0-1, while Matthew Thiessen posted 27 saves and stands at 0-1-1.
Maine outshot UNH by a 34-33 margin.
The Wildcats went 2-4 on the power play and the Black Bears finished 2-6.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
Gendron and Hankinson both recorded their first career collegiate goals.
Jenson's assists marks the first point of his career.
Crookshank's two goal game stands as the fifth of his career.
Five different Wildcats posted two-point efforts.
Ten different UNH players appeared on the score sheet with five different goal scorers.
