After sweeping their archrival in a two-game set last weekend, the University of Maine women’s ice hockey team fell back to Earth slightly against the University of Vermont.
The Black Bears fell by a score to 2-1 Saturday afternoon in Burlington thanks to a heavy possession-based attack by the Catamounts. UMaine faced shots all night, and was fortunate to keep the game close despite their lack of putting the puck on the net. The Black Bears’ record dips to 5-17-5 and 3-11-3 in Hockey East play with the loss, while Vermont improves to 13-13-4 and 9-7-1 in conference.
UMaine remains in the Hockey East basement with four games to play, just three points behind fifth-place Providence College. UVM has staked a claim to a top-four seed in the conference with a 7-point cushion over the Friars and a one-point deficit to Northeastern University.
The first period started off slowly. Each team had scoring opportunities, but Vermont got the bulk of them, battering UMaine in shots on net by a 13-4 margin. The Black Bears were the first to find twine despite Vermont’s great defensive efforts.
Sophomore wing Kelly McDonald found freshman forward Emilie Brigham in the offensive zone where she was able to knock the puck past Catamount senior netminder Roxanne Douville for her fourth goal of the season.
Vermont was able to respond in the second period to take the lead, with the tying goal coming via the man advantage.
Catamount junior forward Brittany Zuback sent the puck back to the point where sophomore defender Dayna Colang sent a slap shot past Black Bear sophomore goaltender Meghann Treacy to knot it at one goal apiece.
They would take the lead a little under nine minutes later.
While moving the puck offensively, freshman defender Rachael Ade passed to freshman forward Victoria Andreakos who sniped a shot by Treacy to take the lead at 2-1. Vermont outshot the Black Bears in the second period 14-4.
UMaine came out swinging in the third but was unable to find the back of the net.
Douville stopped all 11 shots in net for Vermont in the period, while Treacy stopped all 10 shots that came her way in the period. Vermont’s tough defense limited the Black Bear offense and they weren’t able to put another goal on the board. With no third period tally, Vermont went on to win by a score of 2-1.
Treacy stopped 35 pucks on the night while Douville saved 18. UMaine was outshot in the contest by a lopsided margin of 37-19.
The Black Bears return to action next weekend at home for Senior Weekend in a two-game series against No. 7 Boston College. Puck drops at 1 p.m. on Feb. 15 and 2 p.m. on Feb. 16.
The Catamounts travel to Durham, N.H. for two tilts against UNH the same days.