Sophomore Kalle Eriksson scored his first collegiate goal tonight. (UNH courtesy photo by Michelle Bronner)

DURHAM – Sophomore Kalle Eriksson (Leksand, Sweden) scored his first collegiate goal for the Wildcats as the University of New Hampshire men’s hockey team skated to a 1-1 tie with Maine on Friday at the Whittemore Center in the season opener for both teams.

The Black Bears earned a second point winning the shootout, 3-2. The Wildcats and the Black Bears both start the season at 0-0-1 (0-0-1 HEA). Matthew Thiessen made 37 saves for Maine.

After two periods, the Wildcats had outshot the Black Bears 25-4. UNH was 0-5 on the power play, while the Black Bears were 0-2. The two teams play again tonight at 7 at the Whitt.

The Wildcats found the back of the net off of the stick of Eriksson, who dragged the puck around a Maine defender on a solo rush and chipped one through the arm of Thiessen for his first career collegiate goal at 12:42 of the third period. Senior assistant captain Eric McAdams (Salem, Mass.) and senior Kohei Sato (Nishitokyo, Japan) received assists on the goal.

Maine answered back just 32 seconds later with a tic-tac toe passing play to find Lynden Breen at the top of the crease who found the open net. Adam Dawe and Eduards Tralmaks set up the goal for the Black Bears.

After a scoreless overtime, Maine ended up taking the second point in the shootout with Simon Butala clinching the point with the Black Bears’ third goal of the shootout. Junior Jackson Pierson (Zionsville, Ind.) and senior captain Charlie Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) notched goals during the shootout.

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