The University of Maine(1-6) returned home after their weekend away Friday, Oct. 14 in a matchup against the Merrimack Warriors(2-3), falling 5-1 to their competitors.
First-year right winger Tereza Vanisova scored Maine’s one goal on a power play halfway through the second period. Second-year right defender Alyson Matteau and first-year left-defender Ebba Strandberg got the assist on this goal. This was the only goal Maine was able to notch, bringing the score to 3-1, giving Vanisova her fourth goal on the season.
“It was lucky, I got a good pass…” Vanisova said of her goal. “I just tried to shoot it with my backhand and it was there.”
The rest of the game was dominated by Merrimack.
The second period saw the majority of the scoring, including Maine’s lone shot. Merrimack started the period off six minutes in, when second-year forward Paige Voight, with assistance from second-year forward Allison Sexton and second-year defender Paige Sorensen, was able to capitalize on the power play opportunity, bringing the score to 3-0. Shortly after this Maine scored, followed by another goal from Voight this time assisted by redshirt second-year forward Jackie Pieper and second-year defender Meghan Martin, bringing the score to 4-1. There was one more goal before the end of the period when second-year forward Jessica Bonfe scored a second goal of the game assisted by Voight and Sexton, bringing the score to 5-1, where it remained for the rest of the game.
After this goal, Maine made the move to pull fourth-year Mariah Fujimagari from the net, replacing her with first-year goaltender Carly Jackson.
“We weren’t really helping her in front of the net and they were finding the loose pucks and sometimes you just gotta pull the goalie so they don’t get run up too high,” Assistant Coach Sara Reichenbach said.
It wasn’t just the second period that saw scoring from Merrimack. Eight minutes into the period, second-year Katelyn Rae scored her solo goal of the game with an assist from first-year forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis and second-year forward Emily Volpe, giving the Warriors an early 1-0 lead. Bonfe managed to score again before the end of the period, netting her first goal of the night off an assist from first-year defender Andrea Olson. This was Bonfe’s third goal of the season, with her second goal being her fourth.
“I kinda just went to the point, bounced out, saw the puck, picked my head up, saw the opening in the goalie and just took the shot as fast as I could,” Bonfe said.
This was all the scoring the game saw and although the third period saw significant action, none of it managed to affect the scoreboard. The Black Bears saw a game-high 15 shots on goal, giving them 30 on the afternoon, while the Warriors had six shots on goal in the last period with 26 on the game. The attitude on the ice was more competitive in the last period, with a near tussle on the ice, ending with second-year Beatrice Dufour being sent to the penalty box for hooking.
First-year goaltender Lea-Kristine Demers earned the win, saving 29 shots, while Fujimagari took the loss stopping 15 shots during her time in the net.
“Where we came from last year as a first-year program…We are a little bit more organized and a little more together as a team, have a little bit more maturity. I was proud of the effort today and I thought we played hard,” Merrimack Head Coach Erin Hamlen said.
This game will move the Warriors to 1-0 in Hockey East. The Black Bears will fall to 0-3 in conference play.
Maine Defeats No 5. Boston College 3-2
In Maine’s second game on the weekend, No. 5 Boston College(3-2-1) fell 3-2 to the Black Bears in a neutral-ice game in Auburn, Maine, Saturday night. First-year forward Vendula Pribylova scored the game winning goal, bringing Maine ahead in the last minute of play.
The scoring was split between the second and third period, with both goaltenders facing a plethora of shots on net.
It wasn’t until three minutes into the second period that either team was able to capitalize on the power play goal opportunity. First-year forward Caitrin Lonergan scored the goal off an assist from third-year defender Kali Flanagan and third-year goaltender Katie Burt. Maine knotted the score up less than 10 minutes later when fourth-year forward Morgan Sakundiak with an assist from Vanisova.
Maine once again was able to find the back of the net at the start of the third period, when third-year Brooke Stacey put it between the post off an assist from Vanisova and Strandberg. This was Stacey’s first goal on the season. Boston College did not let this goal go unanswered, scoring again 10 minutes after this first goal. Third-year defender Tori Ann Miano scored for Boston off an assist from third-year defender Megan Keller and third-year forward Kenzie Kent.
Maine was given the opportunity to steal the game when Pribylova took an assist from first-year forward Kara Washer, getting one past Boston College’s Burt. Although the Eagles attempted to tie up the score once again, they were unable to find the back of the net.
Jackson took the win on the night, saving 28 out of 30 shots on goal and earning her first career win giving her a 1-5-0 record. Burt took the loss for Boston College despite stopping 18 out of 21 shots on goal.
With this win, the Black Bears ended Boston College’s longest undefeated streak in Hockey East history.
Maine will return to play for another conference matchup, Friday, Oct. 28 at
Providence College with a puck-drop scheduled for 7 p.m. The Eagles will return to play Friday, Oct. 21 in Chestnut Hill, Mass. to face Quinnipiac.
