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The end of the semester is inching closer and closer and many University of Maine students will probably be relieved to have some much needed time off from the daily grind of schoolwork.
The UMaine women’s hockey team (7-7-1 overall, 1-5-1 in ECAC East play) shares those same sentiments, especially after a semester that saw them play nine consecutive games away from Alfond Arena, including some emotional games in the past few weeks.
“I am definitely relieved after our long stretch on the road as well as the vast amount of schoolwork that has piled up,” said sophomore goaltender Lara Smart of the upcoming break.
But before the team takes 19 days off, it will have to face No. 10 Harvard this Sunday at home. The Crimson (5-6-1 overall, 3-1-1 in ECAC Northern play) will have played two midweek games before facing the Black Bears. The key for UMaine will be to attack a possibly tired Crimson team, sophomore forward Meaghan Aarts said.
“The key points for this weekend are to come out flying and put pressure on Harvard from the beginning.let them know we’re not a joke and we are good and ready to play,” said Aarts.
One of the players who the Black Bears will need to put that pressure on is the nation’s second-leading scorer, freshman Nicole Corriero, who has 15 goals and six assists for 21 points.
Over the past weekend the Black Bears defeated Wayne State (3-12-2) 4-3 and 6-0 to get back to the .500 mark. Although UMaine did get the sweep there weren’t many happy feelings coming from the Black Bears about the wins.
“The whole team, including coaches, was disappointed in our games this weekend,” sophomore forward Karen Droog said. “We didn’t come prepared to play and were fortunate to come out with the two wins.”
The team lacked enthusiasm and passion in their performance over the weekend, according to head coach Rick Filighera.
“I was very disappointed in their enthusiasm,” he said. “We have to get that to a different level. That has to come from them and their love of the game.”
On the injury front, junior forward Cailee Heggestad has some soreness in her knee, but it is currently unknown if it will prevent her from playing this weekend.
Several Black Bears received awards for their play last weekend against Wayne State. Droog was named ECAC Player of the Week for scoring two goals in the first game of the series and figuring in all of the scoring in Sunday’s 4-3 win. Freshman Andrea Steranko and Smart were both named to the ECAC weekly honor roll. Steranko earned a hat trick last weekend and Smart made 43 saves in two wins including her second career shutout.
Bangor Daily News