Chargers drop season opener

Mike Anderson, UAH Sports Information

	Scott Munroe

The Boys in Blue had a challenge ahead of them when the stepped on the ice in Orono, Maine. Despite a solid effort and a stellar performance in goal, the Chargers dropped their first regular season game of the 2005-06 season to the fifth-ranked Black Bears of Maine by a score of 3-1.

The goaltending matchup saw Scott Munroe (Moose Jaw, Sask.) in net for UAH, while Ben Bishop manned the nets for Maine. The first period was uneventful, save for the 14-5 shot advantage for the Black Bears. Munroe was strong through the frame and the first intermission came with no score.

Keith Johnson scored the first goal of the year on the Chargers on a four-on-four opportunity. Fighting out front for the Travis Wight rebound, Johnson banged a puck high past Scott Munroe for his first of the year. Derek Damon was credited with the second assist on the play.

Michel Levilee extended the lead with a power play marker in the second period from the blue line, finding the five-hole through traffic to make it a two-goal margin that held through to the intermission.

Mike Salekin (Castlegar, B.C.) cut the lead in half early in the third period, taking a long rebound from a Shaun Arvai (West Lorne, Ont.) shot, and taking advantage of a Grant Selinger (Regina, Sask.) screen in front of Bishop to make it a 2-1 game.

Bryan Plaszcz got the two-goal advantage back, cycling back on the right side and, despite having to shoot through the remnants of a broken stick, got it off the leg pad of Munroe and into the net to make it 3-1.

The Chargers had a chance late with a two-man advantage late in the third period, and even after pulling Munroe in favor of a sixth skater, Bishop came up strong in net for the Black Bears, and they took the 3-1 victory.

The Chargers were outshot 37-21 on the game.

The Black Bears will play host to the Chargers for the second and final game of this series Saturday night at 6:05 pm. Streaming audio will be provided by WZON-AM in Bangor, Maine. The Chargers travel to Rochester in two weeks to take on RIT in the first Division I game in Frank Ritter Arena. They return to the Von Braun Center November 11 to host College Hockey America foe Niagara for a pair of games.

UAH-Maine Box Score