PORTLAND – Coming off a two-loss tournament in front of hostile fans in Florida, the University of Maine hockey team was hoping to get some help Sunday from the home crowd in Portland.

The fans came in droves, and the Black Bears did not disappoint them.

Six different players scored, including three players who scored their first career goals, and Frank Doyle and Ray Jean combined to stop 12 of 13 shots as Maine rolled over the University of Vermont 6-1 in front of a near-record crowd of 6,901 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

“That’s what makes playing here so great,” said Maine coach Tim Whitehead. “The fans come out and support us. It helps us on the ice, it energizes us.”

The crowd was the second largest home crowd in Maine history, falling 100 people short of the record set in Portland in 1990. The team didn’t waste any time in giving the fans exactly what they wanted.

Matt Greyeyes, Jeff Mushaluk and Brent Shepheard all scored goals in the first 3:49 of the first period to give Maine an early lead. For Greyeyes and Mushaluk, the goals were their first as members of the Black Bears.

“Matt got us started right away,” said Whitehead. “It’s great for him to get his first one, and of course Jeff and Josh (Soares) also. They don’t get the chance to score often, but they made the most of it tonight.”

Greyeyes’ goal at 2:07 was a bullet of a shot in front of Vermont starting goalie Matt Hanson, after John Ronan poked the puck to him from behind the net. At 3:01, Mushaluk blasted a slap shot from the high slot that beat Hanson to the low glove side, and at 3:39 Shepheard scored his second of the season after Michel Leveille dove down the right boards and swatted the puck over to him in the middle. Leveille also had two assists, pushing his team-leading total to 16.

“We knew we wanted to get off to a good start in front of this great crowd,” said Ronan, who had two nice assists to give his linemates, Soares and Greyeyes, their first collegiate goals. “I guess I started playing better when I closed my eyes,” he added. “I even surprised myself out there.”

Vermont recovered slightly after Maine’s initial blitz, lifting Hanson for veteran goaltender Travis Russell. Hanson has seen 44 minutes of action this season, and has allowed seven goals, giving him a goals-against-average of 9.54.

“All I can say is wow,” said first-year Vermont coach Kevin Sneddon. “It was definitely men against boys out there tonight. Maine played exceptionally well from the drop of the puck, and I think our players have a newfound respect for the brand of hockey played here.”

Colin Shields upped his team-leading point total to 18 with a goal at 4:05 of the second, and Derek Damon followed that with his sixth of the season to push the lead to 5-0.

Soares notched the first goal of his career in just his sixth game of the season at 1:51 of the third.

Maine’s Frank Doyle came close to a shutout, but the Catamounts finally scored at 8:03 of the third, just seconds after a power play ended. Jeff Corey potted his fifth of the year on a feed from the right corner by Oriel McHugh.

“It’s easy to get lost in the game a bit,” admitted Doyle, who faced just one shot in the second period. “But that’s what’s great about a crowd like this, it helps to keep you focused.”

Maine next plays Tuesday in a makeup game against Merrimack at Andover, Mass. The Bears then return home Saturday to face Sacred Heart at Alfond Arena.

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