Matt Mangene scored midway into overtime as the University of Maine men’s ice hockey team knocked off Cornell University, 3-2, to capture third place in the Florida College Classic at Germain Arena in Estero, Florida.

It would take the Black Bears the majority of the tournament to find their momentum, but in the third period and extending into overtime, they showed how good they can be and their ability to persevere and win games when they need too.

This came off of Wednesday’s matchup against Miami of Ohio as Maine to knock off some of the rust gathered from the long holiday break and the disappointing loss, 4-1, the previous night.

Maine found the back of the net early in the first with only 1:55 off the clock. Mark Anthoine, a native of Lewiston, fired a quick shot to beat Cornell goalie Mark Garman to get the game’s first goal.

Cornell pushed back at the 5:11 mark as Nick D’Agastino found a way to get the puck past the Maine’s freshman goalie Martin Ouellette to tie the game up at 1-1.

Early in the second period, Cornell’s Chris Moulson put the go ahead goal past Ouellette with a trip around the net for a wrap around goal a little over a minute into the game.

In the closing minute, Maine pressured Garman into freeing up the puck and it appear Maine would head to the locker room tied at 2-2.

Maine, who found the puck first, put the equalizing goal on the board, or so they thought before the officials lost sight of the puck and ruled the play dead which took away the goal Maine had already celebrated.

With a one goal deficit going into the third period, Maine looked to complete their third comeback win of the season after being down going into the final period.

The Black Bears found their offense on the power play at 8:27 when they crashed the net throwing quick shots at Garman. As the puck sprang loose, Garman found himself sprawled out and unable to recover as Tanner House and Robby Dee both took swings at the puck before Dee was able to tap it in for an easy goal to bring the game to 2-2.

After the slow start, the Black Bears came out of their apparent hibernation in the third with the game-tying goal, outshoot Cornell, 9-2 but needed overtime to decide the outcome.

It was the Black Bears’ seventh overtime game of the season.

Maine used the previous OT experience and carried the momentum they found in the third period, forcing the puck deep in the Cornell zone.

Just 2:39 into OT, Spencer Abbott drove to the net dishing the puck off to a trailing Matt Mangene, who fired it past Garman for the win.

Maine improves their record to 9-5-4, and will face the USA Under-18 team on Jan. 2 for an exhibition game at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland before getting back to Hockey East business against Merrimack on the Jan. 8.