Dartmouth University (2-6-0, 1-4-0 ECAC) shut out the University of Maine Black Bears (4-12-1, 2-8-1 WHEA) Monday night at the Alfond with a final score of 4-0. It was Dartmouth’s game from the start, featuring four different players netting the goal, first-year defender Bailee Brekke scoring her first NCAA goal.
The second period was where Dartmouth was able to make their mark. The first goal of the period came off a rebound about eight minutes in. First-year left wing Rose Falzone found twine off an assist from second-year right winger Kate Landers. This was Falzone’s second goal of the season. The Big Green found the back of the net shortly after when Brekke made a screenshot for her first goal of her NCAA career. She was assisted by second-year defender Caroline Shaunessy. Despite these two goals by Dartmouth, Maine outshot the Big Green 10-6 in this period, but the Black Bears were not able to get it past fourth-year goaltender Robyn Chemago.
“I just shot the puck and afterwards I couldn’t stop smiling. It felt awesome,” Brekke said of her goal.
The Big Green came right off the puck-drop looking for a win. They notched their first goal eight minutes into the first period when third-year left winger Brooke Ahbe netted the puck off an assist from fourth-year assistant captain defender Eleni Tebano and first-year right winger Christina Rombaut. This was all the scoring that the first period would see, but it was not for lack of effort as both teams recorded 13 shots on goal.
Despite the Black Bears’ energy going into the final stanza of play, Dartmouth continued to dominate, scoring their fourth and final game of the series on the power play opportunity. With five minutes remaining in the period Rombaut managed to notch one in the net, getting the perfect angle to send the puck into the left corner of the net over the shoulder of Maine’s redshirt first-year goaltender Carly Jackson. Rombaut was unassisted in this score and now has two goals on the season.
“I’m really happy with how our girls played. Maine played a really hard, solid 60 minute hockey game. We had to play our top game to get the win tonight,” Dartmouth Head Coach Laura Schuler said.
Despite the loss, Maine’s defense did not give up. Second-year defender Alyson Matteau and third-year assistant captain right defender Jessica Vallotton worked hard to keep the pucks off the Maine side. Jackson stopped 30 out of 34 shots on goal, while Chemago got the win stopping all 31 goals she faced.
“We had a lot of communication, we moved the puck really well. I think overall this was one of our best games of the season,” Brekke said.
This was Dartmouth’s first win on the road, with their only other win being earlier in the season against Princeton.
“Anytime you get a “w” it always lifts the spirits and reinforces some of the things we’ve been working really hard at. Hopefully we can carry that into tomorrow night,” Schuler said.
The teams will return to the Alfond Tuesday night with the Black Bears looking for a win to split the series.
Black Bears win to split series
In Tuesday night’s game, the Black Bears were back for revenge, beating the Big Green 3-2. First-year right winger Tereza Vanisova netted two of the Black Bear goals, while redshirt first-year center Lydia Murray netted her first career goal.
Maine drew the first blood, when Vanisova found twine for the first goal of a game off a pass from third-year center Brooke Stacey. First-year defender Brittany Colton got the secondary assist on the goal. Dartmouth knotted the score at 1-1 four minutes later when fourth-year center Kennedy Ottenbreit scored off an assist from Tebano. This was Ottenbreit’s first goal of the season.
“It was actually all Leni [Tebano]. She busted her ass on the side boards took it to the blue line and I just went to the middle and she made a great pass and I put it in,” Ottenbreit said.
Vanisova netted another goal with two minutes remaining in the period. Vanisova received a pass from third-year center Brooke Stacey and took it across neutral ice into Dartmouth’s defensive zone. She shot and got it past Dartmouth’s Chemago to end the period with a 2-1 Maine lead. This was Vanisova’s 10th goal on the season, putting her at third in the conference for total points as of the latest update.
Both teams continued the momentum seen in the first period into the second. Murray got her opportunity to score about four minutes into the period while Maine was on the penalty kill. Murray netted the puck on the rebound, scoring her first career goal and Maine’s first shorthand goal of the season.
“It was shorthanded and it was kind of a 50-50 puck on the wall. Coach always says if you get the puck look up ice I looked up ice and I had a lot of room so I took it to the net,” Murray said of her goal.
Dartmouth finished the scoring for the game when they had the five-on-three advantage. Fourth-year defender Emma Korbs netted a goal off a scramble. Tebano got the assist on this goal. Although this was the last goal for the game, this did not lower the standard of play. The attitude on the ice was chippy with both teams trying to net another goal.
“It was chippy and in our face but that’s how we like it. That’s Maine hockey…that’s the hockey we like to play,” Murray said.
The third period saw no scoring, but this was not for lack of trying. Dartmouth pulled Chemago out of the net, but after the team acquired a penalty, she returned to the net for the penalty kill.
“We played with them in the second and third but they came out to play in the first period and the end result was in their favor because of that,” Schuler said.
Maine played redshirt fourth-year Mariah Fujimagari in the goal for the night over Jackson from the night before. Dartmouth played Chemago in the goal once again. Chemago saved 23 out of 26 shots while Fujimagari saved 25 out of 27, earning the win on the night.
“Mariah [Fujimagari] is a very good goaltender and I think playing three games in four nights, we want to make sure we are staying fresh and healthy. Mariah has been here for five years, she’s a good goaltender. We have confidence in her and she played very well,” Maine Head Coach Richard Reichenbach said.
Maine will move on to play Mount Saint Allison University in Presque Isle, Maine for an exhibition game on Saturday, Dec. 3. Puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Big Green will travel home, just to leave again Friday, Dec. 2 for a game at Colgate with a puck drop at 3 p.m.
The Black Blears beat Mount Allison University in exhibition game
In their exhibition game on Sat, Dec. 3 the University of Maine Black Bears beat the Mount Allison University (MtA) Mounties in Presque Isle, Maine with a final score of 6-3. Vanisova led the Black Bears with four goals, including the first and the last goal of the game
Less than 30 seconds into play, Vanisova netted her first goal off an assist from Stacey and Colton. The scoring continued from here from both the Black Bears as a whole and Vanisova. It would be almost the rest of the period before another puck found the back of the net. Third-year forward Victoria Hummel found twine off an assist from fourth-year forward Morgan Sakundiak, ending the scoring for the first period with the Black Bears leading 2-0.
Similar to the first period, Vanisova was the first to find the back of the net in the second period within the first 30 seconds of play. This was an unassisted goal. Maine continued this the scoring spree when Stacey found twine off an assist from Vanisova and first-year forward Vendula Pribylova, three minutes into the period. Vanisova netted one more goal before the end of the period, six minutes into the period. This goal was also unassisted and marked a hat trick for Vanisova, her third this season.
MtA found the back of the net before the end of the period. Second-year forward Maddy Koughan scored off an assist from second-year defender Rhiannon Ford to put the Mounties on the board 14 minutes into the period. The second period ended 5-1.
The third period saw a goal within the first minute of play once again, but this time it was from the Mounties instead of Vanisova. Fourth-year forward Kara Anthony took advantage of the power play opportunity getting an assist from second-year forward Heather Richards to net another goal for MtA. Nine minutes into play, the Mounties had another opportunity. Richards got an assist from fourth-year forward Mackenzie Lalonde and first-year forward Morgan Porter to find twine on the power play opportunity.
Unfortunately for MtA, they were not the ones to net the remaining goal of the game. Instead it came from Vanisova once again. Pribylova got the assist on the play, bringing the score to 6-3.
No more scoring would occur in the game, giving Maine the victory. This was Maine’s first-year goaltender Jillian Flynn’s first time in the net, giving her a win. Fourth-year goaltender Keri Martin started in the net for the Mounties, giving up five goals in her 30 minutes of play. Second-year goaltender Lindsay Wray replaced her in the goal, allowing only one goal to get past her.
Maine outshot MtA 44-25, but MtA was two-for-seven on the power play. Maine was not able to capitalize on either of their two power play opportunities.
Maine will return to action on Friday, Dec. 9 at the Alfond Arena against Union College. Puck-drop is scheduled for 2 p.m. MtA will not return to play until Friday, January 6, when they will take on Moncton with a puck-drop scheduled for 7 p.m.
