21 March 2025
There is nothing in sports like overtime hockey.
The tension is immense.Fans are on the edge of their seats because they know every rush, every forecheck, every shot could end it.
For the winners and their fans, it is sheer joy and ecstasy.
For the losers, it’s the bitterest of disappointments and despair.
The University of Maine hockey team’s 4-3 double overtime victory over Northeastern in their Hockey East semifinal at the TD Garden in Boston on Thursday night was one for the ages.
And all of the UMaine players who figured in the scoring have an interesting story.
Senior center and alternate captain Nolan Renwick, who scored the game-winner, is one of just three Black Bears who have played at least four years at Maine along with co-captains Lynden Breen, a graduate student center, and senior defenseman David Breazeale.
That trio has seen the dark days and are now being rewarded for their hard work, resiliency and leadership with a second consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.
Breen won just 10 games in his first two seasons while Renwick and Breazeale experienced only seven wins their freshman season (7-22-4).
Junior left wing Owen Fowler, who scored the first two goals, is a UMass Lowell transfer who sat out last season with a broken kneecap.
Sophomore right wing Charlie Russell, a Clarkson transfer who played in just seven games a season ago, set up the game-winner and another transfer, sophomore defenseman Frank Djurasevic (Merrimack), also assisted on it.
Senior center and alternate captain Harrison Scott, who transferred from Bentley two years ago, had two assists.
And junior defenseman Luke Antonacci, who scored the game-tying goal late in the third period, was a healthy scratch for seven games during a nine-game stretch this season before finding his game and becoming a valuable performer.
Antonacci went into Friday night’s championship game against UConn with two goals and two assists in his previous five games.
Thursday’s game brings back memories of previous UMaine overtime playoff wins. Here are some of the most memorable ones.
1. UMaine vs. UNH, 1999
The 3-2 overtime victory over New Hampshire in the NCAA championship game in Anaheim in 1999 tops the list.
Marcus Gustafsson flipped home his own rebound 10:50 into overtime off a nifty cross-ice pass from Cory Larose.
“As soon as I saw it go in, I couldn’t believe it,” Gustafsson said.
In a Bangor Daily News story several years ago, Gustafsson said that assistant coach Grant Standbrook had told him to release his shot quickly so UNH goalie Ty Conklin wouldn’t have time to get set.
The advice paid off.
Current UMaine assistant and goalie coach Alfie Michaud made 46 saves and earned Most Valuable Player honors for the tournament.
2. UMaine vs. Michigan, 1995
UMaine beat Michigan 4-3 in triple overtime in their Frozen Four semifinal in Providence in 1995. It was 28 seconds into the third overtime that UMaine’s Dan Shermerhorn decided it.
He and Michigan’s Mike Legg squared off in the faceoff circle in the Michigan zone and the puck went behind Shermerhorn. UMaine’s Reg Cardinal swatted it up to Shermerhorn in front of Michigan goalie Marty Turco.
“It was mostly instinct. [Turco] tried to pokecheck it and I threw it on net. It went under his glove and beside his leg,” Shermerhorn said.
The game took 100 minutes and 28 seconds, which is the 26th longest in NCAA Division I history.
3. UMaine vs. UMass, 2004
UMaine edged UMass 2-1 in triple overtime in the 2004 Hockey East championship game. Ben Murphy scored the game-winner by tipping home a Mat Deschamps shot from the point. Tournament Most Valuable Player Jimmy Howard made a school-record 63 saves, including 19 in the first overtime.
That was UMaine’s last Hockey East championship.
The game went 109 minutes and 27 seconds, which is the 15th longest Division I game in history.
“I just remember this feeling that we were going to win. I remember a calmness over the team and with that calmness came confidence,” Howard recalled in an interview with the BDN on Friday.
“I just remember being locked in. I was in the moment. Nothing else mattered but stopping the next shot. Those seasons don’t come along often and when they do, you ride it until the game bucks you off,” added Howard, who went on to have an impressive 14-year National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings.
Gabe Winer made 59 saves for UMass.
4. UMaine vs. Providence, 1989
Martin Robitaille scored in the second 10-minute overtime period to give UMaine a 4-3 win over Providence in 1989 to send the Black Bears to the Frozen Four. UMaine won the best-of-three playoff series two games to one.
There were four, best-of-three-series held at the home rinks of the higher seeded teams to produce the Frozen Four field. There weren’t regional tournaments like there are now.
Robitaille flipped a backhander over sprawled Providence goalie Mark Romaine during a goalmouth scramble.
UMaine had received third-period goals from Mario Thyer and Scott Pellerin to tie it 3-3.
Pellerin beat Romaine with a slap shot with 2:22 remaining to force overtime.
5. UMaine vs. Boston College, 1999
The Black Bears received an overtime game-winner from Bobby Stewart in the 1999 Frozen Four semifinals in Anaheim to beat Boston College, 2-1, and advance to face New Hampshire in that championship game.
Niko Dimitrakos tied the game early in the third period by beating BC goalie Scott Clemmensen with a slap shot off a Ben Guite pass and Dimitrakos then set up Stewart’s game-winner with a long backhanded pass that tipped off the stick of teammate Barrett Heistein and went to Stewart.
Stewart fired it over Clemmensen’s left shoulder.
Michaud had 35 saves, as did Clemmensen.
6. UMaine vs. Michigan, 1993
En route to winning their first NCAA title in 1992-93, the Black Bears had to rally to beat Michigan 4-3 in overtime in their Frozen Four semifinal in Milwaukee.
Cal Ingraham tied it with his school-record and nation-leading 46th goal of the season with 4:03 remaining and defenseman Lee Saunders won it just 1:36 into overtime.
Saunders jumped onto the ice on a line change, skated to the net front and had a Mike Latendresse pass slip off his stick before he swiped at the puck while laying on the ice and knocking it in.
Saunders tragically died five years later when he fell off a platform and was hit by a train in the Netherlands.