ORONO – The University of Maine hockey team rediscovered the best way to hold a lead against a quality opponent: Play strong defense and keep pouring on the offense.

Yet solid goaltending was an important factor in Sunday’s 4-1 win over Boston College, and Shawn Sirman, making his first start in goal since Dec. 3, met the challenge.

“You work hard on and off the ice, that’s all you have to do,” said Sirman, who made 24 saves. “I’ve been playing hockey for 19 years, right? So it’s not like I’m going to lose it in two months.”

After Cam Atkinson cut Maine’s lead to 4-1 in the third period, Maine bore down on defense and Sirman made eight saves — including a glove save on Chris Kreider’s wrist shot from the right circle with 5:36 left in the game — to help Maine, ranked 13th and 14th in national polls, end Boston College’s win streak at seven games.

“Our D-corps played great but our forwards came back and did a great job of eliminating many of the odd-man rushes,” said Maine left wing Brian Flynn, who had a goal and an assist. “They’re a quick team, good in transition, so having a guy higher, it kind of squashed their transition.”

After withstanding a flurry of early shots by the third-ranked Eagles, the Black Bears (11-6-4, 8-4-2 Hockey East), began to create scoring chances deep in Boston College’s end.

Camped in front of the goal, Joey Diamond one-timed Flynn’s pass past Eagles goalie John Muse (seven saves) to give Maine a 1-0 lead with 4:33 left in the first. Then, with 51 seconds left, Tanner House one-timed Diamond’s pass from behind the goal to give the Black Bears a 2-0 lead after one period.

“We talked about this being one of the strongest teams in the country to play here,” Maine Coach Tim Whitehead said. “Like we focused on against North Dakota (in October) was getting out of the gate strong, getting a lead, defending it, not sitting back and then sustaining it in the third and staying out of the penalty box, which we did.”

Flynn gave Maine a 3-0 lead 33 seconds into the second, and Jeff Dimmen’s slap shot from the right point gave Maine a 4-0 lead at 4:47, and Boston College (15-6, 11-5) lifted Muse in favor of Parker Milner (13 saves).

“Once we get out with a lead, we have to build it and sustain the pressure that we come out with,” Flynn said. “We were able to do that.”

With 3:49 left in the second, referees ruled that a Maine defender covered the puck with his glove in the goal crease and awarded a penalty shot to BC center Pat Mullane.

Sirman came out to challenge Mullane, and Mullane’s backhand shot went high.

“Maine was better than we were in every facet of the game,” Boston College Coach Jerry York said. “In the defensive zone they were better, in the neutral zone they were better, in the offensive zone they were better. In any special-teams situation, they were better. They clearly deserved to win the game.

“We were fortunate to keep it at 4-1.”

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

rlenzi@pressherald.com