The Wildcats celebrate their first win of the season Saturday night, 6-2 over Maine. (Courtesy photo by Jack Bouchard/UNH)

DURHAM — Junior forward Angus Crookshank (North Vancouver, British Columbia) scored two goals to lead the University of New Hampshire men’s hockey team to a 6-2 victory over Maine on Saturday at the Whittemore Center. The Wildcats improve to 1-0-1 (1-0-1 HEA) and the Black Bears fall to 0-1-1 (0-1-1 HEA).

Junior forward Jackson Pierson (Zionsville, Ind.) and senior captain Charlie Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) also turned in multi-point performances, while freshman Cam Gendron (Hampstead, N.H.) and sophomore Joe Hankinson (Hopkins, Minn.) both scored their first career goals and also recorded assists.

“I’m very proud of the way our team competed,” UNH coach Mike Souza said. “We had contributions from a lot of players. Great leadership, a hard-fought weekend. … It’s nice to get that first one in the win column.”

Maine got off to a fast start scoring 4:50 into the game on the power play when Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup wristed one glove side from the top of the slot.

Crookshank evened the score with 9:18 left in the first period on the power play from just above the crease. Sophomore defenseman Kalle Eriksson (Leksand, Sweden) and Kelleher notched assists on the goal.

Senior assistant captain Benton Maass (Elk River, Minn.) gave UNH the lead after he had drawn a penalty and while the referee’s hand was in the air, Matthew Thiessen kicked a rebound out to the left circle where Maass was there to bury it. Sophomore Lucas Herrmann (Lancaster, N.Y.) and Hankinson posted assists on the goal.

UNH increased its lead to 3-1 just 46 seconds later on the power play when senior assistant captain Patrick Grasso (Ankeny, Iowa) found a loose puck sitting on top of the crease and flipped one over Thiessen’s shoulder. Kelleher and Pierson received assists on the goal.

After the first period, UNH outshot Maine 12-9. The Wildcats were 2-2 on the power play and the Black Bears were 1-1.

Maine made it 3-2 after Emil Westerlund scored off of a rebound on the power play with 12:52 left in the second period. Schmidt-Svejstrup and Brad Morrissey were credited with the assists.

Senior goaltender Mike Robinson (Bedford, N.H.) made a string of important saves on a Black Bear power play in the back half of the second period.

Crookshank potted his second of the game as he caught a pass from Pierson and sped around the Maine defense along the right wing, cut towards the net, and flipped one past Thiessen to make it 4-2 UNH with 16:36 remaining in the third period. Freshman defenseman Nikolai Jenson (Cold Spring, Minn.) was also credited with an assist.

Gendron netted his first career collegiate goal after he laid a hit on a Maine player, found the puck and let one rip from the bottom of the right circle short-side top shelf with 8:07 left in the third period.

Hankinson scored an empty net goal for his first career goal with 1:36 remaining in the third period.

For the Wildcats, it was good just to get on the ice in game situations.

“I’m proud of our players,” Souza said. “I’m proud of all the people that worked behind the scenes to get us up and running, and be able to pull off a doubleheader here. Maine got dealt a tough hand after having to travel after expecting to play at home, but that’s 2020, I think.

“I can’t emphasize what a great team weekend. … I thought we played solid hockey all weekend long.”

UNH will host Merrimack on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. at the Whittemore Center on NESN+ and College SportsLive.

(Telegraph staff writer Tom King contributed to this report.)