CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – An early goal by the opponent stood, despite a video review. But the University of Maine hockey team didn’t use a controversial first-period tally by the opposition as any kind of excuse.

Excuses or not, the Black Bears couldn’t match that early goal — or manage much of anything on offense — in Sunday’s 4-1 loss at Boston College.

“I thought that we had the better of the chances,” Maine goalie Dan Sullivan said. “We outshot them again, which is good. We’re making a trend of that. But it was just one of those days where I think we did all we could to win.

“It’s OK. We’re going to go back to Maine and keep working. This tells you how fine of a line it is between winning and losing.”

The Black Bears (6-3-3, 4-2-1 Hockey East) outshot the Eagles by nearly a 2-1 margin (39-23), but the Eagles maximized their scoring chances and created opportunities off turnovers, then scored two goals — including Paul Carey’s second goal of the game — in the final two minutes of the second period to break a 1-1 tie.

“They’re a very skilled team,” said defenseman Mark Nemec, who scored Maine’s only goal. “Some of the mistakes we made, they capitalized. They make you pay when you turn the puck over. We have to do a better job of limiting their time and space.”

Carey gave BC a 1-0 lead 2:02 into the game on a goal that stood after officials reviewed it to determine whether or not the puck was directed into the net by a kicking motion. Cam Atkinson’s shot from the point bounced off Sullivan (19 saves) and banked off Carey’s shin.

“It happened to me earlier in the year, they called back a goal on that foot,” said Carey, who scored three goals in the weekend sweep of Maine.

“But I was confident. I think the call on the ice was a goal, so I was kind of wondering if they’d see it go off my foot, or see something other than what happened.”

Maine Coach Tim Whitehead disagreed with the call.

“It’s unfortunate but that was a tough call, obviously,” Whitehead said. “But that’s why we have video review.

“(The official) called it a goal on the ice but, again I had a pretty good view on the bench and he was making a motion toward the net, deflecting it in. I have trouble believing that’s a goal.”

Sullivan didn’t think Carey kicked in the puck, but he didn’t think his team viewed the early goal as a setback.

“It was a bad break,” Sullivan said. “But I think our guys handled it well. We didn’t say, ‘Oh, it’s an early goal and the game’s over.’ We still felt good.”

Nemec tied the game at 1-1 at 12:56 of the second on a shot through traffic from the right point.

But the Eagles (8-4-0, 6-3-0) took control of the game in the final two minutes of the second by scoring a pair of goals in a span of 40 seconds. Bill Arnold’s goal from the left circle skimmed underneath the crossbar and popped back out onto the ice. Carey’s second goal at 19:08 made it 3-1 and Barry Almeida scored an empty-net goal with 2:09 left in the game to complete BC’s weekend sweep.

“They had guys driving the net, and a couple 2-on-1s,” Sullivan said.

“The goals they got, the first one was a fluke and the second one was a great individual one by that guy. The third one, unfortunately, was just right after the second goal. Just a bad bounce.”

Staff Writer Rachel Lenzi can be contacted at 791-6415 or at:

rlenzi@pressherald.com