A rare Sunday matinee for the UMass hockey team saw the Minutemen right in the thick of things with the clock winding down in the third period in Orono, Maine.

Trailing host Maine 3-2 in the final minute of regulation, UMass pulled goalie Michael Hrabal for an extra skater. The Minutemen received a golden opportunity to tie the game, when a shot from the point was blocked in front and re-directed right to Dans Locmelis on the doorstep. But Maine goalie Albin Boija made the save of the night, moving back to his left and snagging a one-timer with his glove in tight with just 28.6 seconds remaining. UMass was unable to find the equalizer from there, as the Black Bears held on for a 3-2 Hockey East victory at Alfond Arena.

UMass dropped to 14-11-2 overall, 5-8-2 in Hockey East after suffering its first loss following a four-game winning streak.

No. 6 Maine moved into second place in the league with the win, improving to 17-5-3 overall and 9-3-3 in Hockey East.

Kenny Connors staked UMass to a 1-0 lead 8:25 into the first period on Sunday, as he buried a beautiful behind-the-goal pass from Ryan Lautenbach to put the visitors on the right path. Larry Keenan also picked up an assist on Connors’ third goal of the weekend and fifth in his last four games.

Maine answered with the next two goals, tying the game late in the first period on a strike from Brandon Holt, then taking a 2-1 lead with a Josh Nadeau tally just 1:15 into the second. The two goals came just 1:51 apart.

Cole O’Hara pulled UMass back level just 56 seconds after Nadeau’s goal, as he buried a shot with assists from Lucas Mercuri and Jack Musa on a 3-on-1 breakaway to tie the game 2-2. It was O’Hara’s 15th goal of the season.

Former UMass player Taylor Makar haunted his former team with the eventual game-winning goal later in the second period. Oscar Komarov’s shot through traffic was initially saved by Hrabal, but Makar was on the doorstep and poked the rebound home to give the Black Bears a 3-2 lead with 8:17 left in the middle stanza.

Neither team cracked the code from there, and Hrabal wound up with 28 saves for his efforts on the night. Boija stopped 24 shots, none bigger than the robbery of Locmelis in the dying seconds of regulation to give Maine a win in the first of three meetings between the two teams this season. The Black Bears come to the Mullins Center for the final weekend of Hockey East regular season action March 7-8.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier for UMass, as the club travels to No. 9 UConn on Friday for a 4 p.m. game in Storrs, Conn. The Minutemen will then meet No. 1 Boston College for a home-and-home Feb. 14-15.