TROY, N.Y. — The University of Maine women’s ice hockey team earned a 5-3 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Friday, Oct. 16, at Houston Field House. The Black Bears broke a three-game losing streak with a strong offensive performance, led by second-year forward Mackenzie Podewell, who recorded two goals and an assist. The win improved Maine’s record to 2-5-0 on the season.
Maine came out aggressively in the first period, opening the scoring on the power play at 4:14. Second-year defenseman Lulu Rucinski put the Black Bears ahead 1-0, finishing a play assisted by third-year defenseman Brenna Curl and second-year forward Isabelle Michaud. RPI responded just over two minutes later when fourth-year defenseman Kendal Davidson tied the game at 1-1.
The Black Bears regained the lead at 13:44 when first-year defenseman Oda Bruland Austefjord scored her first collegiate goal. Austefjord found the back of the net unassisted, giving Maine a 2-1 lead. However, RPI answered again at 6:25 in the first period, with first-year forward Barbora Cerna-Proskova tying the game at 2-2 heading into the first intermission.
Maine regained control of the game in the second period, finding the back of the net to take a 3-2 lead into the final frame. With 7:57 remaining in the frame, second-year forward Mackenzie Podewell scored to put the Black Bears ahead. The goal was assisted by second-year forward Sophia Dau and third-year defenseman Kendall Sundby. Maine’s defense kept RPI scoreless throughout the remainder of the period, allowing the Black Bears to carry their momentum into the third.
RPI came out strong in the final period. Just 25 seconds after the opening faceoff, second-year forward Mia Montanari scored to even the game at 3-3, putting pressure on Maine to respond. The Black Bears answered halfway through the period when Podewell scored her second goal of the night at 9:17. Second-year forward Julie Jebousková and third-year forward Stephanie Jacob assisted on the go-ahead goal, giving Maine a 4-3 lead.
With RPI pushing for a comeback late in the game, the Engineers pulled their goaltender in favor of an extra attacker. Maine capitalized on the open net at 19:29 when fourth-year forward Raegan Wurm scored to extend the lead to 5-3. Rucinski and Podewell recorded assists on the insurance goal, sealing the victory for the Black Bears.
Maine finished the game with 24 shots on goal compared to RPI’s 16. The Black Bears converted one of four power-play opportunities and limited the Engineers to zero power-play goals. Ten different Maine players recorded at least one point, highlighting the team’s balanced offensive effort.
Third-year goaltender Madisyn Ryan also made an important contribution in her first start of the season, recording 13 saves. Her performance helped Maine maintain its lead during key stretches of the game as the Engineers continued to apply pressure.
The victory was an important step forward for the Black Bears after three consecutive losses. Maine demonstrated resilience by responding each time RPI tied the game and ultimately finding the go-ahead goal in the third period. Podewell’s three-point performance, Austefjord’s first collegiate goal and contributions throughout the lineup helped Maine secure the road win.
The Black Bears will look to build on the momentum when they face RPI again on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 3 p.m. in Troy, New York, to conclude the two-game nonconference series.
