ORONO – Officially, Friday’s game against the United States National Under-18 team meant nothing to the Maine Black Bears.

The results didn’t affect the standings, and the statistics won’t count toward season totals, but for three Maine players, it was a chance to showcase their talent in front of the program that helped them develop as hockey players.

Greg Moore, Jimmy Howard and Todd Jackson started on the road to college hockey with a trip to the U.S. development team in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Maine won 9-2, but that wasn’t necessarily important to the three alumni in the first round of the Black Bear Classic.

“The culture there is so laid back, and the people you meet within the organization are so nice,” said Moore. “This was a chance to meet back up with some of them and see how they are doing, and talk some hockey.”

The fact that Moore scored a pair of goals Friday night didn’t hurt, either.

“That was fun,” said Moore. “You almost feel bad for them in a way, but it’s an adjustment that they will all eventually make. By the end of the season, they won’t be in such lopsided games.”

Howard still maintains a relationship with the goaltending coach in Ann Arbor, and had a chance to prove himself against the current team Friday night. Though he faced 12 shots, Howard passed his test.

“These games are more tiring than games like against Minnesota last week,” said Howard. “These are more mentally tough, and that wears you down.”

For Jackson, the game was a bit different than what he remembers. When Jackson was part of the development program, there were no college teams on the schedule.

“This is a big step for them,” said Jackson. “We never got to do this, and I think with the way they are playing better teams now, the kids coming out of the program will be more ready to face college and eventually the professional level.”

All three former U.S. team members factored into the scoring Friday night, with Moore tallying two goals, Jackson

an assist and Howard, of course, with 12 saves and the win.

And the pipeline may not be finished. There are rumors swirling that Maine may be after U.S. team goaltender Jordan Pearce, who stopped 33 shots on Friday.

Notes: Freshman Luciano Aquino scored three goals on Friday for a hat trick, the first of his young career. … Greg Moore tallied a goal via the penalty shot late in the second period of Friday’s game. … Mike Hamilton notched his first collegiate goal in a flurry in the third period. …

Thirteen different Black Bears scored a point on Friday, including goalie Ray Jean, who had an assist on Moore’s second goal. Six Black Bears tallied two points or more, and Moore and Aquino each had three.

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