The Maine Nordiques continue to put wins on the board.
Forward Aidan Coupe’s goal with 1:15 remaining in the game gave the Nordiques a 1-0 win over the Maryland Black Bears, the top team in the NAHL East Division, Friday night in Odenton, Maryland.
It’s the Nordiques’ (21-15-2, 44 points) fifth win in their past six games. Maine has won three straight against the Black Bears (27-10-4, 58 points) and leads the season series 4-3.
Brendan Gibbons and Nicholas Bernardo set up Coupe’s seventh tally of the season. Gibbons has 28 assists on the season and Bernardo has 17.
Gibbons also nabbed East Division Star of the Week honors for having three goals and two assists in the sweep of the Philadelphia Rebels last weekend.
Kael DePape earned his second shutout of the season — his first came against the Black Bears on Jan. 21. He made 32 saves Friday night.
Maryland goalie William Hakansson turned aside 19 shots in the loss.
Both teams were 0 for 2 with the man-advantage.
Maine now has a four-point lead over the Johnstown Tomahawks (19-17-2, 40 points) for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East Division.
The Nordiques and Black Bears meet again at Piney Orchard Ice Arena in Odenton, Maryland, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the final game in the regular-season series.
TONY ACHILLE COMMITS TO ARIZONA STATE
Nordiques forward Tony Achille announced his commitment to Arizona State University on Friday.
The 21-year-old forward from Hingham, Massachusetts, has 11 goals and 20 assists in 37 games this season.
Arizona State began NCAA Division I play in 2015-16. The Sun Devils are an independent program and are currently 13-18 this season.
Achille becomes the third Nordiques player to commit to a Division I team this year, joining Gibbons (Air Force) and Patrick Schmiedlin (Lindenwood University).
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