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By Matthew Hritz
Staff Reporter
The University of Maine women’s ice hockey team hopes to reverse its fortune this weekend against No. 7 Providence College after last weekend’s sweep at the hands of the New Hampshire Wildcats.
This weekend against the 2-2-0 Friars, begins a stretch of nine consecutive road games for the 2-2-0 Black Bears.
“I feel we match up very well against them, we always have,” head coach Rick Filighera said about the Friars. “In the six previous games, other than [in] the second year, most of our games have been one or two goal games.”
Providence College, after losing its first two games against No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth, won both of its games last week against the University of Findlay.
One of Providence’s highly touted players is a transfer from Ohio State University. Filighera believes defenseman Kelli Halicisak (2 goals, 4 assists) could be the best defenseman in the conference.
“We can’t allow Kelli Halicisak to be flying around the rink and controlling the game,” Filighera said. “If we get in our forecheck, don’t turn the puck over and we play hard and show up like we showed up this weekend, we’ll be fine. But that again is all going to be up to them.”
Providence head coach Bob Deraney feels this weekend’s game with UMaine will be a challenge and expects both games to go down to the wire.
“Last year we had two very close games with Maine,” Deraney said. “I think we are two very evenly matched teams that are tough and physical.”
UMaine only scored two goals in two games last weekend. Filighera feels there are many things the Black Bears need to improve on if the team is going to get back on the winning track. One of those improvements is not turning the puck over. UMaine turned the puck over 69 times in two games against UNH.
“You can’t win hockey games when you’re turning over the puck in the middle of the rink,” Filighera said. “We should start making the puck a little bit more important. Talent, skating and ability wise we are as good as any team we play against.”
The Black Bears will also need to improve on its power plays this weekend. Thus far, UMaine has only scored one goal with a player advantage.
“We’re going to start scoring some power play goals,” Filighera said. “We’re not doing a good enough job there.”
Filighera does believe his team is getting better as it played New Hampshire effectively for long stretches. But Filighera knows that UMaine will have to win games against powerhouses like New Hampshire and not get frustrated with just giving good effort and have nothing to show for it. Moral victories don’t get teams into the postseason.
UMaine may also be getting some additions to the team this weekend because junior forwards Christine Lane and Cindy Baron and possibly Cailee Heggestad will be added to the roster. UMaine will run four lines with these additions, something the Black Bears have not done so far.
UMaine and Providence College will face off Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. at Schneider Arena in Providence, R.I.
