BOSTON — It took a season and change, but Lewiston’s Mark Anthoine is starting to put his stamp on the University of Maine hockey program.

After a sluggish start to the season — not only by Anthoine but by most of Maine’s second and third units — the sophomore has come alive, playing key roles on both the power play and penalty kill. Beginning with a goal in a loss against UMass/Lowell, Anthoine was riding a streak of six goals and two assists in nine games leading up to Saturday’s tilt. The only game in which he was held off the score sheet was a December contest at Vermont.

“It’s taken a little while, but we’re starting to see some of our secondary scoring kick in,” Maine coach Tim Whitehead said Thursday. “It’s helping take a lot of pressure off the top unit.”

It took little time for Anthoine to make his presence known at Fenway Park. Only 4:10 into the first period, with UNH already in top by a goal, Anthoine fired a puck past New Hampshire keeper Casey DeSmith on a power play to even things at a goal apiece. Anthoine added another power play tally in the second, his eighth of the season, to give Maine a 3-2 advantage.

Facing his alma mater

Saturday’s contest was particularly poignant for UNH assistant coach Jim Tortorella, who has multiple Maine ties.

After skating as a goaltender for the University of Maine, he spent the better part of the 1980s coaching high school hockey, first for Brunswick and then for Cony. He went on to be an assistant at UNH before taking over at Colby College of Waterville, a coaching gig he held onto for 16 years. In his time with the Mules, Tortorella amassed a 230-138-33 record and is the program’s all-time leader in career wins.

In addition to his duties at Colby, Tortorella was also the assistant coach for both the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 USA World Junior teams.

Tortorella currently holds the highest level of coaching education achievement within USA Hockey, the master certificate, and was a finalist for the 1995-96, 2005-06, and 2007-08 National Division III Coach of the Year honors.

He rejoined Umile’s UNH staff as associate head coach this season.

Tortorella’s brother, John, also a Maine grad, is the head coach of the New York Rangers, who just recently played in the NHL’s Winter Classic in Philadelphia against the Flyers.

Hometown support

When the official announcement came that Maine would, indeed, skate at Fenway Park this season — indeed, perhaps even in advance of the announcement — Auburn Mayor Jonathan LaBonte circled the date on his calendar.

A Maine alumnus and longtime supporter of Maine athletics, LaBonte had just ramped up his campaign for Mayor when the game’s tickets went on sale. Regardless, he wasn’t going to miss this chance.

“Being a Mainer and an Orono alum, it’s great to see such a strong and vocal turnout at Fenway,” LaBonte said prior to the contest. “Black Bears love their hockey program and know that getting those two points in the conference are important tonight. Taking them from New Hampshire would be icing on the cake.”

LaBonte and several friends got to Boston early, walked around the city while enjoying the unseasonably warm weather, and got into Fenway Park in plenty of time to watch the Black Bears skate.

Base hits

Normally at Fenway Park, Jacoby Ellsbury (when healthy) will track down and either catch or cut off any ball sent flying into center field. Even though the grass was certainly green enough Saturday, Ellsbury wasn’t in his normal position patrolling the triangle. Too bad, too, because he would have had a few chances.

While it’s customary (and necessary) to have netting surrounding the ends of the rinks at all NHL, college and junior venues, because of the unique nature of the rink at Fenway, where it’s wedges between first and third base, only partial netting is necessary. During the game, the Maine defense and goalie Dan Sullivan deflected a handful of crossing attempts near the top of the crease. Those pucks went flying over the boards, landed in center field and rolled harmlessly into the gap.

No doubles were awarded.

OT thriller

Michael Marcou ended a tense contest with and third-rebound goal from just outside the crease 4:37 into overtime, lifting the University of Massachusetts to a 3-2 victory over the University of Vermont in the first game Saturday at Frozen Fenway.

Marcou collected the puck after a pair of saves by Vermont keeper Rob Madore with the Minutemen on the power play.

Eric Filiou and Danny Hobbs also had goals for UMass (7-8-5 overall, 3-6-4 Hockey East). Kyle Reynolds and Drew MacKenzie tallied in the loss for Vermont (4-15-1, 1-11-1), which was coming off a 3-1 setback against Maine on Wednesday in Orono.