ORONO – The game wasn’t against a national powerhouse like Minnesota or Wisconsin, but Saturday night’s win in the final of the Black Bear Classic at Alfond Arena was just as sweet for Maine.

Paced by two goals each from Colin Shields and Keith Johnson and by Frank Doyle’s 19 saves, the Black Bears cruised to a 7-0 win over Holy Cross, running their season record to 3-0 and taking their second consecutive tournament title to open the 2003-04 campaign.

“The way the first three weeks stacked up for us it was going to be three very different tests,” said Maine coach Tim Whitehead.

“We passed the first one and we more than passed this one. This was a great turnout and the fans really helped us out.”

Shields was happy to be back to doing what he started doing so well at the beginning of last season, namely scoring goals.

“Last year, I started well but had to deal with an injury,” said Shields. “I was slow getting back from that. I started to come around in the playoffs last year, but this is the first chance I really have to get things going again.”

Despite being outshot in the first period, Maine carried most of the action inside the Crusaders’ zone, and came away with two goals for its effort.

At 8:45, sophomore Jon Jankus took a feed at center ice from Mike Lundin and ripped a slapshot from the middle of the slot.

Three minutes later, junior John Ronan netted the Black Bears’ second goal of the game on a wrist shot from the right circle, beating Conway high to the glove side for his fist of the season.

The goal was scored short-handed, Maine’s fourth such goal of the season. The Black Bears have a short-handed goal in each game so far this season.

“I had success with a slapshot to the same spot in yesterday’s game,” said Ronan. “I figured I’d try it again, and it worked.”

In the second frame, Maine turned up the heat, launching 20 shots at Conway while allowing the Crusaders just two opportunities against Doyle.

At 8:03, Derek Damon took a pass from Greg Moore at the right circle and one-timed it toward the net.

The shot hit the post hard, bounced off of the post, off of Conway and trickled back over the line for a goal.

With five minutes left in the period, the Black Bears put the game out of reach with two goals in 41 seconds.

The first of the two came on the power play when Colin Shields took a long rebound off of a Todd Jackson shot and rifled a slap shot at Conway, finding some open space through the legs of three defenders.

“(Todd) Jackson made a good play to get the puck around to me and I saw that (Dustin) Penner was set up in front of the net, so I shot short side, figuring the goalie would try and cover the middle of the net.”

Forty-one seconds later, Keith Johnson swiped at a backhand rebound in front of the net and managed to edge the puck over the line to put Maine up 5-0.

Shields and Johnson each added another in the third to finish the scoring.

Maine returns to action next Friday, opening up a doubleheader against St. Lawrence in Canton, N.Y.

Boston U. 2, Vermont 2

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Evan Stoflet ripped a wrist shot from the high slot that eluded Sean Fields midway through the third period and gave Vermont a 2-2 tie with Boston U. on Saturday night.

Vermont (0-2-1) took a 1-0 lead at 9:11 of the first period when Scott Mifsud scored on a rebound of a shot by Brady Leisenring. BU (1-0-1), responded less than three minutes later on a goal by Kevin Schaeffer.

just after a Terrier power play had ended.

BU took a 2-1 lead on Kenny Magowan’s tip-in from the low slot seven minutes into the third period before Stoflet scored his first career goal.

Travis Russell finished with 27 saves for Vermont and Fields stopped 20 shots.

AP-ES-10-18-03 2203EDT