This past weekend, December 5 and 6, the Black Bears women’s hockey team traveled to Durham, New Hampshire to find themselves a win and a tie, advancing their overall record to 6-11-2.
Anytime these schools meet, in any sport, the games just mean a little bit more. The border battle has been a tradition between these two schools for decades, always forging new highlights and competition and this series continued the intensity we have become accustomed to.
Game one took place Friday night and started quickly. After just three minutes on ice, the Wildcats drew advantage from a powerplay, and capitalized with a goal from fourth-year forward Alyson Hush. Hush would prove to be a problem all game, but not too much of a problem for UMaine’s Danielle Brunette to counter. The fellow fourth-year forward would score a goal of her own just two minutes later, bringing the first period score to a 1-1 tie.
This back and forth from Hush and Brunette would continue to tell the story of the early part of this game, because after another few minutes, Hush would once again score off of a power play, pushing UNH out in front 2-1 at the end of the first.
UMaine has struggled against the power play this year, and this game further proved it, as the Black Bears put New Hampshire in an advantageous state five times this game. This is surely an area Head Coach Molly Engstram will look to improve as the season progresses.
Defense would then take the front seat, as neither team would score for over 20 minutes of game time until the standoff was broken at the very end of the second period, by Danielle Brunette, who riposted Hush’s previous goal with another of her own. Both skaters now had two goals, and led their respective units to enter the third period tied at 2.
The third period started back and forth, with both teams trading shots on goal. With pressure rising as each minute passed, it was second-year forward Stephanie Jacob who scored a timely goal to put the Black Bears up 3-2 with about half a period of hockey left to play.
From there on, UMaine would play to drain the clock and secure the victory with good defense and a methodical approach to the end of the game. That was until, New Hampshire took their shot with one last push, and first-year forward Nina Rossi would net the Wildcats the goal to send the game to overtime as time expired. A devastating end to regulation after nearly 20 minutes of perfect hockey from Maine.
Overtime began and the opening faceoff went to the Black Bears. The puck ended up in Danielle Brunette’s stick once again, and she would once again make a big play as she slid the puck to second-year Kendall Sunby, who scored the goal to send the Wildcats home for the night after just nine seconds.
The second game would not prove to be as smooth as its predecessor.
Saturday afternoon, the teams would meet again, no doubt with extra motivation after going to overtime less than 24–hours prior. This was plain to see as both teams entered this game with stifling defense, neither allowing a goal in the first period, this was despite the Wildcats having two power play opportunities.
Early in the second period, this trend would finally end, as New Hampshire’s Kelly Harty broke the streak with a goal to put the Wildcats ahead, and put pressure on UMaine throughout the second period, which would end 1-0.
That pressure would continue as UNH would score once again just 48 seconds into the final period, lifting the Wildcat lead to 2. UMaine was officially on their last gasp as they stared down a two point deficit with under four minutes left in regulation.
But as many wise people have once said, 2-0 is the worst lead in hockey.
The Black Bears came out of nowhere, resurrecting their chances to sweep their rivals with two goals in under a minute. Mikayla Boarder lit the spark with the first goal, and Stephanie Jacob scored her second goal of the weekend to even things up, putting all the pressure on New Hampshire.
Unfortunately, this woke the Wildcats up, and the game would roll into overtime. The two teams would channel the perfect defense we saw in the first period, and the game clock would run to zero, ending this late game thriller with a tie.
Even with the tie, the Black Bears were fortunate to bring that one back, and call themselves the clear winner of this rendition of the Border Battle series.
UMaine Women’s Hockey will continue this season’s journey December 30 against Brown, at the Cross Insurance Arena.
