The University of Maine women’s ice hockey team has had their share of ups and downs this season, but the one constant has been their brilliant netminder, Meghann Treacy. Treacy, a redshirt third-year goaltender from Lake Peekskill, New York, has led the Black Bears to a 4-7-2 (3-1-1 WHEA) record this season. While that might not seem impressive, the team’s record does not tell the whole story.
Treacy began playing hockey throughout New England and New York since theage of six and made the decision to play goalie after she scored her first goal of her young hockey career.
“When I scored my first goal while I was playing [defense] I told [my mom] everything that the goalie did wrong. I guess it came naturally to me,” Treacy said
After that, she became a talented goalie and two-year captain at Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts and was named the New England Prep School All-Star in hockey. After committing to UMaine, she slowly began to enter play and earned a starting role in the 2013-14 season appearing in 27 games.
This season, Treacy has been very impressive. She has posted a record of 3-6-1 in 10 games. She has a 2.88 goals against average with a .931 save percentage. Despite the losing record, she has played in some very close games. There have been seven one-goal games, including two ties. Treacy says she does not care about the stats, only stopping pucks.
“I never think about [goaltending] like I’m the last man back, I just think about someone coming down and thinking about the shot…I’m never really thinking, ‘if I mess up we’re down a goal.’ […] But when I do come up with that big save, it’s great to come through for my team,” Treacy said.
This Black Bear team has not only been strong against Hockey East opponents, going 3-1-1 versus conference opponents (Treacy is 2-1-1 in WHEA games), but the team is very close this year due to that success.
“We all do our thing outside of hockey, but once we’re [at the Alfond], once we’re lifting, once we’re in the locker room we all talk to each other, and try to help each other out,” Treacy said on the team dynamic, “we’re really close this year, and I think that has a lot to do with the success we’ve been having this year.”
That success has brought confidence, and Treacy said that the team has confidence in their playing abilities as well as their ability to win games against rivals and tough opponents. Maine beat rival New Hampshire in their season opener, as well as beating Boston University at home and Northeastern University on the road. Treacy and the Black Bears also take pride in playing close games with some of the best teams in women’s hockey. Maine has played tough teams like Quinnipiac, Mercyhurst and Robert Morris University well over the course of the season.
Maine carried this winning mentality over from the end of the 2013-14 season, where they finished the season winning four of their last seven games and then playing a gritty playoff game in Vermont, that ended in triple overtime.
“I think the way we ended [last season] showed us that we could play with any team in the conference,” Treacy said.
Looking ahead to the rest of Maine’s schedule, 14 of their remaining 17 games will be in conference. That does not change the Black Bear’s game plan according to Treacy.
“We’re looking for that consistency,” Treacy said on the team’s end goals for the season. “Obviously at the end of the season we want a home ice playoff game. We’re looking to give all that we have and won every game, but we’re looking for the consistency no matter what the outcome.”
Maine will travel to Vermont to face the Catamounts in Gutterson Field House on Nov. 29 and 30, before returning home to face Boston College on Dec. 5.