In a Friday-night faceoff, the University of Maine (2-7-0) Black Bears fell to the Providence College (4-5-0) Friars. The Black Bears started off the game with third-year forward Catherine Tufts dominating the scoreboard, but was unable to return the Friars’ three third-period goals.
Tufts started off the scoring late in the first period with an unassisted goal that made it past Providence fourth-year goaltender Alanna Serviss. Starting the second period, Tufts once again found the back of the net off an assist from fourth-year captain forward Emilie Brigham. This was Tuft’s third goal on the season, her first one being at Quinnipiac Sept. 30.
Unfortunately for the Black Bears, this was all the scoring they would see and Providence dominated over the third period. Third-year forward Madison Sansone found the net on a power play off an assist from second-year forward Christina Putigna and first-year defender Rachel Rockwell eight minutes into the period. This was Sansone’s third goal on the season.
The last two minutes of play saw two Friars defeat Maine’s redshirt first-year goaltender Carly Jackson. Third-year forward Blair Parent found the back of the net off an assist from second-year defender Kate Friesen and fourth-year forward Cassidy Carels, knotting the score at 2-2. This was Parent’s third goal on the season.
First-year defender Whitney Dove scored less than a minute later, putting the Friars in the lead. Putigna and third-year forward Brooke Boquist got the assist on Dove’s goal. This was Dove’s first goal of the season.
The Maine offense was not able to find the back of the net again in the last minute, falling to the Friars.
Jackson saw 29 shots on goal from the Friars, while Maine only made 21 shots on goal. Jackson took the loss, while Serviss earned the win.
The Black Bears and Friars will meet again on Jan. 28 and 29 for a weekend series at the Alfond.
Maine falls to UVM in close match-up
In their Halloween game, Maine returned home to play the University of Vermont (3-4-1) (UVM), falling in a close match 3-2. The third period of the game saw most of the game’s action. Maine managed to knot the score but shortly after UVM brought the score to 3-2.
Just over a minute into the period, third-year center Brooke Stacey found the back of the net off an assist from fourth-year left winger Morgan Sakundiak. Three minutes later Sakundiak found the net herself off an assist from first-year right winger Tereza Vanisova. This was Sakundiak’s fourth goal of the season.
“Basically I just had the puck and came around the net to fire a hard pass. I didn’t even think twice, I just shot it and it went in the back of the net,” Sakundiak said.
This tied game did not last for long as as UVM netted one, just over a minute later. Third-year forward Kourtney Menches found the net for her third goal of the season. Picar took the assist on this goal, giving UVM the lead that they managed to hang on to for the rest of the game, despite the Black Bears effort.
“I’m just trying to do everything the best I can so if you do little things like get pucks in deep and battle hard, everything else pretty much falls into place,” Menches said.
UVM dominated the second period, scoring two goals. The first goal came just under two minutes into the period when fourth-year forward Victoria Andreakos found the back of the net on off an assist from fourth-year forward Eve Audrey Picard. The second goal came on a power play when third-year defender Amanda Drobet netted one off an assist from third-year forward Mackenzie Macneil and second-year defender Sammy Kolowerat.
In a scoreless first period, the scoreboard did not stay blank due to lack of effort. The Black Bear defense performed as a unit to have two successful back-to-back penalty kills, while UVM had a very strong power play performance, stopped by Black Bear’s Jackson in the goal. Fourth-year goaltender Madison Litchfield did not see quite as much action in this period as Jackson faced 10 shots on goal compared to Maine’s eight.
“Overall really pleased with the first and third and our ability to be resilient and come back from a bad stretch of two minutes or so where we gave up the lead,” UVM Head Coach Jim Plumer said.
The game as a whole saw 24 shots from UVM and 29 from Maine, with 14 of Maine’s coming in the last periods. It was a even match-up with both teams moving the puck around the ice.
“I feel very mixed. I think in the first period we were slow to move the puck. We were just a little bit lethargic. I thought as the game got better, we got better,” Maine Head Coach Richard Reichenbach said. “In the third period we put it all together, but obviously it was too little too late.”
With this game, UVM will move to 2-1-0 in the WHEA, while Maine will fall to 1-5-0.
UVM will return to the ice Nov. 12 against Providence in Rhode Island. The puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m. Maine will also hit the road for an away game against Northeastern University on Saturday, Nov. 5. The puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Boston.
