ORONO – The University of Maine hockey team extended its winning streak to six games with a 2-1 victory over Merrimack on Friday night at Alfond Arena.

Maine improves to 7-3-0 on the season with the win and 4-2-0 in Hockey East play. Merrimack falls to 3-6-2 overall and 1-5-1 in conference play.

Merrimack struck first with a goal just 46 seconds into the game after picking up a loose puck to create a three-on-one situation in the Black Bears’ zone. The puck started on the right, as Chris Barton slide it to Jesse Todd in the middle, who then passed it to J.C. Robitaille on the far left to beat Maine goaltender Dave Wilson

The Black Bears responded just over five minutes later. Lem Randall rimmed the puck into the offensive zone where Spencer Abbott (Hamilton, Ontario) picked it up. Abbott found Will O’Neill (Salem, Mass.) on the blueline who was able to beat Merrimack netminder Andrew Braithwaite for his first collegiate goal to knot the game at 1-1