PORTLAND, MAINE — PORTLAND, Maine -- The Baltimore Skipjacks got away with allowing seven goals Saturday night. But eight were too many yesterday afternoon, and the shaky defense cost the Skipjacks their four-game winning streak.
Baltimore allowed four power-play goals in losing, 8-5, to the Maine Mariners at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Maine lost, 8-7, in overtime to the Skipjacks on Saturday night.
"From our standpoint, we gave up too many shots," said Skipjacks coach Rob Laird. "We were a little bit too loose. But when you are behind, like we were, you are forced to open things up and take chances.
"But it was still a nice weekend for us. We got four of six points on the road [Baltimore beat the Springfield Indians, 5-3, on Friday night]."
John Purves had two goals for the Skipjacks but played a key part in the goal that provided insurance for Maine in the third period.
Ralph Barahona's centering pass from behind the net went off Purves' skate and slid behind goalie Jim Hrivnak with 14:44 left in the third period to give Maine its fourth two-goal lead of the game.
Maine's Dave Thomlinson scored his third goal of the game and fourth of the season with 1 minute, 51 seconds left.
"I am aware that we are giving up too many shots," Laird said. "From Day 1, we've been trying to emphasize the offensive part of the game. We want to be creative and aggressive. We just have to do a better job killing penalties."
The Skipjacks never led. They were last even, 4-4, at 2:43 of the second period on Purves' 10th goal. But Maine took its third two-goal lead of the game on goals by John Byce and Thomlinson a little more than two minutes apart. Byce scored on a scramble after a giveaway by Hrivnak, and Thomlinson scored Maine's fourth power-play goal of the game with 9:32 left.
Purves ended the second-period scoring on the power play with 5:49 left on a rebound.
The Skipjacks allowed three power-play goals in the first period and trailed, 4-3.
Maine got the first two goals when Jim Vesey and Thomlinson scored 19 seconds apart. Vesey banged in a goal-mouth pass from Mike Walsh at 3:07 on the power play.