BOSTON — Brian Flynn and Maine’s top line have been helping to carry the Black Bears all season.

Fitting, then, in what may have been the team’s biggest — and certainly highest-profile — game of the season to date, that the senior captain and Massachusetts native was also the game’s hero.

Flynn banked home a shot off a New Hampshire defender 1:29 into overtime to lift Maine to a 5-4 victory over New Hampshire in the second game of Hockey East’s Frozen Fenway event at Fenway Park in Boston.

“It feels great to get this win,” Flynn said. “I think (Spencer Abbott) had the puck in the corner. He threw it to Joe (Diamond) in the slot. I just crashed the net and it was fortunate, it just hit my stick and went right over his head.”

In a game befitting not only the storied history of the Maine/New Hampshire hockey rivalry and the legendary status of Fenway Park, but also the shorter but no less exhilarating outdoor college hockey tradition, the Black Bears and Wildcats waged a battle for the ages.

With a game-time temperature hovering around 50 degrees, scoring in bunches that would make grapes jealous and standout performances from a handful of players from both teams, the players and coaches from both teams soaked in the atmosphere.

“This is such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Flynn said.

“At a venue like this, it’s just so special, and I’m glad we came out with the ‘W,'” Diamond added.

Lewiston’s Mark Anthoine, who had six goals and two assists in nine games leading up to Saturday’s contest, added two more for the Black Bears, his first collegiate multi-goal game.

“That was something else, I’ll tell you that,” Anthoine said.

Diamond also scored twice for the Black Bears as the first line came alive after a sluggish start.

Kevin Goumas and John Henrion each had a pair of goals for UNH, which like Maine began the season with expectations higher than where the team currently sits in the standings.

“I like the fact that we battled back,” UNH coach Dick Umile said. “We played pretty well against a good team in this atmosphere. We’ll take that as a positive and move forward. We have a lot of games left and a long way to go.”

The game may have started 45 minutes late, but the teams wasted little time making an impact on the Fenway ice.

Henrion ignited the throng of UNH fans down the first-base line with an even-strength goal 1:05 into the contest after a Maine turnover gave Grayson Downing the puck in the Maine zone. Downing found Henrion streaking in the low slot and fed the speedy junior, who got his own rebound and pounded the puck past Maine goalie Dan Sullivan for a quick 1-0 lead.

Anthoine made it 1-1, though, as Maine’s potent power play struck again. Anthoine, in nearly the same spot on the other end of the ice as Henrion had been, converted on a feed from Kyle Beattie to even things at a goal apiece.

“Like any team, when you get scored on right away, it’s kind oif deflating,” Anthoine said, “but to be able to come back and get one, it was huge. Beats (Beattie) has been feeding me all season, and I just seem to be connecting with him.”

The teams played through a lackadaisical first half of the second period, but the teams came alive after a pair of penalties to UNH.

Counter-intuitively, it was New Hampshire that struck first, despite being down a pair of skaters. Goumas picked Flynn’s pocket at center ice and went in on Sullivan unimpeded. His shot glanced off the Maine keeper’s shoulder, but caromed into the cage to put the Wildcats on top, 2-1.

“The two defensemen, they kind of spread out on each side,” Goumas said. “I kind of just angled it, and instead of making a pass, (Flynn) tried to beat me one-on-one. I just got a stick on it, I came in and snuck it under the goalie’s armpit.”

Maine responded, though, and quickly.

Diamond dug the puck out of a scrum in front and sent it past DeSmith only 17 seconds after Goumas’ tally to even things back up at 2-2. And Anthoine was again Johnny-on-the-spot on the power play, earning his second goal of the night 50 seconds after Diamond’s marker to give Maine its first lead at 12:34.

“That was important,” Maine coach Tim Whitehead said. “I think more important was getting a goal on the 5-on-3, because that really set us up to be able to get another at 5-on-4.”

The Black Bears extended their lead to 4-2 just 13 seconds into the third frame when Diamond escaped behind the New Hampshire defense. Abbott found him with a perfect feed and Diamond slid the puck five-hole for a 4-2 Maine lead.

UNH replied quickly with a pair, getting another from Goumas at 3:00 and the equalizer from Downing on a tip-in at 4:43, knotting the contest at 4-4. Maine is now 9-1-1 in games when leading after the second period.