No. 19 UMass held off Maine, 2-1, in Orono for its first road win of the season. The Minutemen built a two-goal lead on goals from Jack Galanek and Maxim Massé, then relied on freshman goalie Ethan Eskit and a stout penalty kill to protect it.

By the Numbers
  • Final score: UMass 2, Maine 1.
  • Shots: Maine 47, UMass 22.
  • UMass power play: 1-for-2; penalty kill: 3-for-3.
  • Eskit made 46 saves, a season high.
  • UMass is 5-4-1 overall and 2-0-0 in Hockey East; Maine is 4-5-0 and 0-3-0.
Yes, But

Maine controlled the shot count and nearly erased UMass’ lead late. A potential empty-net goal was overturned after a high-stick challenge, leaving the Minutemen to defend a one-goal margin through the finish.

State of Play
  • UMass has won its first two Hockey East games.
  • The teams meet again Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. on NESN.
Bottom Line

UMass weathered Maine’s shot advantage with timely scoring, perfect penalty killing and a standout performance from Eskit—an important road result built on defense and special teams.