On Nov. 4, The University of Maine defeated the Holy Cross College Crusaders in a crushing win of 8-0. The Black Bears then suffered a defeat in Providence, Rhode Island with a score of 3-1 on Nov. 9.
The first period of the Sunday contest against Holy Cross was the liveliest part of the game for UMaine, as they scored five of their eight on the night.
After a penalty, a power play and three attempted shots, second-year defender Anna Zikova scored the first goal during a power play. She was assisted by second-year defender Taylor Leech and third-year forward Vendula Pribylova. Barely five minutes after the puck was dropped to start the game, UMaine found themselves up 1-0. Just two minutes later, the Black Bears struck again as Pribylova scored with the assistance of first-year forward Ali Beltz and third-year defender Ebba Stranberg.
Halfway through the first period, first-year forward Ida Press scored the third goal for UMaine during a power play, assisted by fourth-year defender Alyson Matteau and third-year forward Lydia Murray. After a minor penalty against UMaine for elbowing, fourth-year forward Cailey Hutchison scored their fourth point with the assistance of Zikova and Leech. Five minutes later Murray scored, bringing it to 5-0 at the end of the first period.
In the second period UMaine came out shooting, taking four shots at the Holy Cross goal within the first two minutes, none managing to find the back of the net. Just before the three-minute mark, second-year forward Maddie Giordano scored her first career goal, assisted by Beltz. Afterward, Holy Cross fended off UMaine with new vigor, blocking five shots, winning more face-offs and scoring two power plays off of Maine penalties for interference and cross checking.
While the Crusaders fought with new energy, shutting Maine down offensively, their efforts eventually broke down, as Hutchison found the back of the net for the Black Bears’ seventh unanswered goal. Holy Cross then went on the offensive, firing five shots at UMaine’s goal. But the defense was well prepared, blocking four, and second-year goalie Loryn Porter saved the fifth. Then just before the end of the second period Murray scored the eighth goal, assisted by second-year forward Daria Tereshkina and Press.
Neither team was able to score in the third period, as the game was all but over due to the Black Bears’ offensive mastery in the first two periods. Holy Cross fought valiantly, firing a total of twelve shots throughout the period. Maine continued to play tight defense, blocking or otherwise stopping every shot taken by the Crusaders. UMaine also fired more than their share, the strongest effort by players came within the final minutes with a face-off and four shots in quick succession. None of those shots found the net leaving the score at 8-0 at the end of the third period.
In Providence, Rhode Island the Black Bears faced off against the Providence College Friars. UMaine saw its first and only goal within the first six minutes when Tereza Vanisova scored with the assistance of Beltz and Matteau.
The Friars came out shooting, with nine shots in the first ten minutes, winning several face-offs against UMaine. Nearly halfway through the first period, the first goal for the Friars was scored by third-year forward Neve Van Pelt with the assistance of fourth-year forward Cassidy MacPherson. The second period was dominated by numerous face-offs won by Vanisova and a rapid-firing of shots by UMaine. Those not saved by Friars’ fourth-year goalie Madison Myers flew wide or ricocheted off of the cage. Fourth-year defender Kate Friesen scored the second point for Providence, bringing the score to 2-1 at the end of the second period.
Despite a total of fourteen shots by UMaine in the third period and numerous, grinding faceoffs, UMaine was unable to score. Maine Head Coach Richard Reichenbach pulled Porter from the goal and sent six attackers onto the ice in an attempt to decrease the deficit, but the move ended up hindering the Black Bears, as Friars fourth-year forward Christina Putigna scored a goal on the empty net, bringing the ending score to 3-1.
