Box Score ORONO, MAINE – A three-point night from first-year Caden Villegas wasn't enough as the Union College men's hockey team fell to the University of Maine 4-3 Saturday night at Alfond Arena.

Villegas is the first Union rookie to record a three-point game since January 3, 2020, when Gabriel Seger registered three assists in a 5-4 overtime win against St. Lawrence.

Sophomore Chaz Smedsrud also recorded a multi-point night, scoring the first goal and tallying an assist on Matt Allen's goal in the third period. Senior Ryan Sidorski added the primary assist on Smedsrud's goal, making it a two-point (0-2-2) weekend for the defenseman.

Union jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 3:22 of the first period when Smedsrud tipped in Sidroski's shot from the blue line. The lead wouldn't last as Keenan Suthers found the back of the net 3:21 later to tie it. Maine took a 2-1 lead into first intermission off of a power-play goal by Ben Poisson.

Nolan Renwick was the lone goal scorer in the second frame, getting one past junior Connor Murphy to extend Maine's lead 3-1.

Union flipped a switch in the third period as Villegas cut into the lead 1:38 into the final stanza. Villegas intercepted a bad pass from Victor Ostman, snapping home the goal to pull the Dutchmen within one. Less than six minutes later, Allen tied it up, flipping a rebound over the shoulder of Ostman with 12:38 to play.

Suthers scored his second of the game and what turned into the game-winning goal only 2:03 later.

Union had a great opportunity to score the equalizer in the final six minutes of play after Donavan Villeneuve-Houle was assessed a five-minute major for elbowing, but the Dutchmen could not capitalize on the advantage.

The Dutchmen put a season-high 30 shots on net, but they were still outshot 42-30, including 21 first period shots by the Black Bears.

Murphy made 38 saves in the loss while Ostman made 27 stops. 

Union will enjoy some time off for the holidays before closing out 2021 with a game on New Year's Eve against the defending national champions, Massachusetts. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at Messa Rink.