For the University of Maine softball team, team success on the field starts by becoming a team off of it. Maine lost only one fourth-year and gained only one first-year from their conference champion 2016 team, leaving the Black Bears with an already tight-knit group to start the 2017 season.

“We hang out outside of softball almost every day,” fourth-year catcher Rachel Harvey said. “We’re around each other 24/7 so it’s not like we’re just a team on the field, we’re also best friends off the field.”

“You know if Maine softball is somewhere because there’s at least eight of us,” third-year outfielder Rachel Carlson added with a chuckle. “You know we’re there.”

The Black Bears have started the season slow, with a 5-17 record through their first 22 games, many of which have been played in tournaments hosted in warmer climates against southern teams who have been playing outdoor games all winter. Head Coach Mike Coutts knows that while playing well in early season games in the south is important, winning those games is not their ultimate goal.

“Your goal is always to win your conference. I mean, that’s the goal of the girls. I know they want to get back to the conference tournament and win the championship and so forth,” Coutts said. “But there’s a lot of things that have to take place before we get there and I think every day we’re just trying to build on that.”

Expectations are high for the Black Bears, who brought home the school’s first America East championship since 2004 last season, defeating Albany 14-1 in the championship game. But Coutts emphasizes the importance of taking it day by day and not getting hung up on the big picture.

“We’re trying to focus on what it takes to get to be a champion, not focus on what we need to be the champion,” Coutts said. “Every day we’re just trying to get a little better.”

The Black Bears’ sole departure from last season is Janelle Bouchard, the America East player of the year. Bouchard was the Black Bears’ catcher and leader and provided a consistent bat in the middle of the lineup. Bouchard struck out only seven times in 142 at-bats last season.

When asked if he was looking for any specific players to step up into leadership roles, Coutts noted that on such an experience-heavy team, there are a lot of players who can lead in their own ways.

“I think the girls that have experience all bring a different kind of leadership to the table,” Coutts said. “The girls that played a lot last year, you’re looking for them to step up and go to another level but I don’t think it’s one person’s job to be the leader overall. Everyone’s got a responsibility to help everybody around them be better.”

Harvey is a senior coming off a successful 2016 season at the plate (.345 batting average, 7 doubles, 5 home runs, 23 RBI’s). Look for her to build on that offensive output, while managing the Black Bears’ pitching staff from behind the plate. Harvey has an established rapport with the two third-years and two fourth-years on the pitching staff, but she stressed the importance of making sure both pitcher and catcher are on the same page come game time.

“I call my own game so it’s taken a little bit — for example, Erin [Bogdanovich]. Her ball just moves a ton,” Harvey said. “She’s a lefty, has a ton of spin on the ball. A lot of times you’re not quite sure because her ball could go one of three ways. So, for her we’ve just been playing around with her pitch sequence a little bit.”

Bogdanovich is coming off a 2016 season in which she was named America East Conference Pitcher of the year. She leads the team in innings pitched (46) and strikeouts (28) this season. Bogdanovich and third-year pitcher Molly Flowers (America East All-Conference Second Team) will lead the Black Bears, while third-year Annie Kennedy and fourth-year Nikki Misner round out the pitching staff.

“Molly I’ve caught for a while, I played with Molly in the same organization in high school too. So, I’ve always kind of known Molly’s strong pitches,” Harvey said. “And then Annie just kind of goes with the flow, throws strikes, and gets the job done.”

The Black Bears are without their shortstop, fourth-year Felicia Lennon, who broke the ring finger on her throwing hand in mid-March. Coutts hopes to have her back by mid-April. Coutts has had second-year infielders Alyssa Derek and Laurine German filling the position in the meantime.

Carlson leads the outfield from centerfield, where she posted a .935 fielding percentage with 39 put outs. She also hit .331 from the plate with 16 RBI’s. While some might be happy with that level of performance, Carlson sees a lot of areas for improvement.

“I want to try to produce more for the team, like more RBI’s,” Carlson said. “I’d like to get more than I had last year. I’d like to get up into the twenties or thirties, if possible.”

When asked about the team’s slow start, Carlson and Harvey acknowledged that they are a bit behind teams from the south in terms of outdoor play — and that they shouldn’t necessarily judge those games based on wins and losses alone.

“We just had to remind ourselves that like in Arizona we went 1-4, but we just had to remind ourselves that we’re still learning how to play together as a team,” Harvey said. “We have to remind ourselves that we’re not 40 games into the season like a lot of the other teams down there.”

Coutts recognizes that it’s to a team’s benefit to have been playing outside, but he refuses to allow that to become an excuse.

“Experience-wise and seeing the balls in the sky and being outside, I mean all that stuff plays to it,” Coutts said. “I think our big message to the girls is if you want that to be an excuse of why you didn’t win then it will be. We’ve just tried to say ‘it is what it is’ and let’s just go battle through it. We can’t change that they’ve got 50 at-bats and we’ve got five.”

Conference play doesn’t begin for another three weeks, so the Black Bears have plenty of time before the most meaningful games on their schedule come around. With a plethora of experience and great team chemistry, don’t discount the Black Bears’ chances to make a run in the America East tournament come May.

The University of Maine women’s hockey team fell to the Boston University Terriers 5-0 on Sunday in their season finale. The Terriers were led by third-year forward Rebecca Leslie, who scored the team’s first two goals and fourth-year goalie Victoria Hanson, who finished with 35 saves in her second shutout of the season.

The story of the game was power play goals. Though both teams gave up five power plays, the Terriers were able to convert three of them into goals.

Leslie started the scoring at 9:01 into the first when she snatched a loose puck in front of the Maine net and amidst a scramble, found the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. That’s where the score would stay for the remainder of the first period, as the Terriers outshot the Black Bears 14-9 in the opening frame.

The Terriers came out of the intermission hot, capitalizing on a Maine hooking penalty just 25 seconds into the second period for a power play goal and a 2-0 advantage. This time, graduate student Mary Parker found Leslie in the left circle and Leslie fired the puck past Maine goalie Carly Jackson for her 13th goal of the season.

Then, with a minute and a half remaining in the second period, it was Leslie’s turn to return the favor and assist Parker. Both Leslie and fourth-year forward Maddie Elia had shots turned away before Parker was able to put a rebound home for her league-leading 23rd goal of the season.

With the score 3-0 after the second intermission, the Terriers continued to add to their lead. 59 seconds into the third period, third-year defender Savanna Newton intercepted a Black Bear outlet pass and got the puck ahead to third-year forward Victoria Bach, who blasted the puck into the top of the net to make it 4-0. The goal was Bach’s 22nd of the season.

Just over five minutes later, fourth-year forward Samantha Sutherland finished out the scoring by beating Maine fourth-year substitute goalie Mariah Fujimagari.

Jackson finished with 26 saves for the Black Bears in the first two periods of action while Fujimagari finished with 12 saves in the final period.

Throughout the entirety of the game, Maine was unable to slow down the Boston University offense, which has averaged an NCAA-best 5.40 goals in the month of February. The terriers have also converted an NCAA-best 36.8 percent of their power-play chances in February and possess the third-best power play scoring percentage in the nation (22.5 percent).

Though she finished one goal behind Parker in goals on the season, Bach finished the season first in the league in points (47) and assists (25).

The Black Bears finish the season at 10-21-1 overall and 6-17-1 in Hockey East action. With the victory, Boston University (17-10-6 overall, 12-8-4 in Hockey East) clinched the third seed in the Hockey East playoffs and will host New Hampshire in a best-of-three quarterfinal series that begins Friday, March 3 at 7 p.m. The Terriers won all three regular season contests against the Wildcats.

There are some who choose to snuggle up with a cup of hot cocoa and open their Twitter or Snapchat. There are others who venture outside their homes to see it for themselves. But over the recent four-day weekend, we at UMaine were all refreshed with one of winter’s greatest pastimes: college snow day sports. My top five are as follows:

5) Anything That Incorporates Actual Winter Sports

We’ve all seen that guy in our apartment complex driving his snowmobile around or actually strapping on skis and skiing down a snowbank. Listen, you made the list, dude. Congratulations. If we see you doing that, we’re not going to look away. We’re not going to not cheer, but that’s what Sugarloaf is for. That’s what Northern Maine is for. Take your sled up there and let us drunkenly whitewash each other in peace.

4) The Barely-Clothed Snow Jump

Shedding every allowable article of clothing while still being tweetable, taking two steps outside your front door, jumping in the snow and then running back inside is a sport much in the same way that Nascar is a sport. To the untrained eye, it seems to require little skill. Only those who understand it are able to observe the nuances that make it so great. One of the more popular snow day sports as virtually anyone can do it. All you need is a body, a front door and a foot or more of powder.

3) The Shotgun Snow-Fall

This one actually requires no skill. You simply gather three or more friends, shotgun a beer (Bud Light is standard) and then do a trust fall into a snowbank that’s already situated directly behind you. However, the shotgun snow-fall is an excellent way to slip on your bikini or bathing suit and garner public opinion on how your spring break body is coming along. Only two weeks, folks.

2. The Sled Tow

People see you and they want to be you when you’re on a plastic toboggan being towed by a Jeep. One of the rarest ones you’ll see — sort of the curling of snow day sports, if you will. Driver and sledder have to be perfectly in sync like horse and jockey. Parked cars and snowbanks are mere bumpers to the bowling ball that is a sophomore nursing major in a full snowsuit yelling “Faster!”

1. The Porch Jump

The porch jump is an age-old classic that requires little skill but infinite courage. If the activities on this list are sports, then Fireball has to be their steroid. Lance Armstrong benefited as much from HGH as your roommate Steve benefits from downing a nip of Fireball (a la Gronk on the duck boats) before cannonballing into a snowbank. It’s a true crowd pleaser that jumpers can really make their own. Of the snow day sports, the porch jump undisputedly provides the best platform for competition: Extra points for style. Loser pays medical expenses.

The University of Maine men and women’s track and field team traveled to Boston University on Friday to compete in the David Hemery Valentine Invitational, where over thirty different teams were represented.

Though there weren’t a large number of Black Bear athletes competing in the meet, it was important for those who were as the invitational was the final meet before championships. With just two weeks to go before conference championships, it was a chance for runners, jumpers and throwers to build some momentum before heading to Boston for America East bragging rights.

Fourth-year Jesse Orach led the Black Bears on the men’s side, setting a new school record for the 5000 meter run with a time of 14:13.96 — good for fifth place in the event. Orach continues to lead the Black Bears’ distance effort and is someone to watch in two weeks, as he is a favorite to stand atop the podium in the conference championships.

In the 60-meter dash, third-year Benjamin Davis finished in 27th place with a time of 7.11. Stephen Headley of Boston-North won the event with a time of 6.74. Davis also finished 83rd in the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.62. Carrington Akosa of Princeton came in first with a time of 21.39.

On the women’s side it was second-year Ariel Clachar leading the Black Bears in the 60-meter dash. Clachar finished in 19th place with a time of 7.92. Clachar was followed closely by two teammates, second-year Lauren Magnuson and first-year Cassidy Hill, who finished in 29th and 31st place respectively. Nikia Squire of Queens won the event with a time of 7.47.

Magnuson finished in 17th place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.07 — less than two seconds behind first place Carly Muscaro of Merrimack.

In field events, Clachar finished in seventh place in the long jump with a top jump of 5.68 meters. Squire again topped the event with a jump of 6.14 meters.

Maine third-year Rachel Bergeron finished in 28th  place in the shot put with a throw of 11.78 meters. In the weight throw, Bergeron finished in 8th with a throw of 16.78 meters. Tynelle Gumbs of the University of Findlay won the weight throw with a toss of 21.32 meters — over three meters further than the second place finisher.

Fourth-year Jeremy Frantz led the men’s team with a 12th place finish in the shot put. His best throw tallied 15.26 meters. First-year Isaiah Brooks finished in 24th place with a 14.05 meter throw. Ben Hahler of the University of Findlay won the event with a throw of 17.59 meters.

In the weight throw, Maine saw an 18th place finish and a 27th place finish as first-year Shane Corbett had a throw of 16.02 meters and Brooks had a 15.40 meter throw. Owen Russell of Brown University won the event with a throw of 19.56 meters.

The Black Bears return to action on February 24th for the America East Championships, which will be held in Boston.

Men’s hockey comeback falls short

The University of Maine men’s hockey team’s late game push wasn’t enough as they fell, 3-2, to the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Friday night at Portland’s Cross Insurance Arena. Third-year forward Anders Bjork and second-year forward Andrew Oglevie, each who scored their 17th goal of the season in Notre Dame’s third straight victory, led the Irish.

The Irish came out hot, scoring two goals within the first ten minutes of the game. The first came from second-year forward Jack Jenkins, who slotted the puck in from just outside the crease to take a 1-0 lead just 65 seconds into the game.

Bjork made it 2-0 Notre Dame at 6:22 in the first period, as he gathered a loose puck in the neutral zone and beat second-year Maine goalie Rob McGovern’s glove side with a laser into the top right side of the net.
The remainder of the period went scoreless, as both teams finished with 12 shots apiece.

Notre Dame again came out of the intermission firing on all cylinders as they netted their third goal of the game at 1:37 into the second frame. Oglevie used Jenkins’ screen on McGovern to sneak one past the goalie for a commanding 3-0 lead, pushing Oglevie’s point streak to nine straight games. Second-year defenseman Dennis Gilbert tallied his second assist of the game on the play.

For a Maine team in a deep hole, a comeback wouldn’t mount immediately. But midway through the third period, Brendan Robbins beat a Notre Dame defender and slid the puck past third-year Notre Dame goaltender Cal Petersen to put the Black Bears on the board. Fourth-year forward Blaine Byron and second-year forward Sam Becker assisted Robbins’ goal.
The Black Bears continued to mount pressure but it was too little too late as third-year forward Nolan Vesey’s goal came on a power play and with the goalie pulled with just four seconds left in the game. Maine was unable to orchestrate a miracle on the ensuing faceoff and Notre Dame escaped with the win.

Though they outshot the Irish 31-28 in the game, the Black Bears simply couldn’t find a way to beat Petersen, who finished with 29 saves in his 79th consecutive start — the seventh longest streak in NCAA Division I history.
McGovern took the loss in net for the Black Bears. He finished with 18 saves and was replaced by fourth-year redshirt goalie Matt Morris at the beginning of the third period. Morris finished with seven saves.

Maine was 1-4 scoring on the power play, while Notre Dame was 0-4.

With the loss, Maine falls to 10-16-3 with five games left to play. Notre Dame moves to 16-9-4 and currently sit in 16th place in the NCAA Division I rankings.

Men’s hockey gets swept by Notre Dame

The UMaine men’s hockey team played their second game of a two-game set against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday, Feb. 11 at the Alfond Arena and dropped the contest 4-2.

The Black Bears came out aggressively, as fourth-year forward and captain Blaine Byron capitalized on a rebound chance just 26 seconds into the game.  Byron’s goal was assisted by fourth-year forwards Cam Brown and Eric Schurhamer. The remainder of the first period featured a lot of back and forth action, with neither team being able to generate any type of offensive rhythm.

The second period had a very similar start for the Black Bears, as Robbins netted his second goal of the weekend just two minutes into the stanza. Robbins goal was assisted from Byron and Brown. Brown’s assist was his second of the night and the assist would be the 100th point of his impressive UMaine career.

Once the Black Bears jumped out to a 2-0 lead, they got into penalty trouble that ultimately ended up costing them. Maine received two penalties on one play before they could even touch the puck, which gave Notre Dame a rare 5-on-3 power play for a full two minutes. Third-year defenseman Jordan Gross wasted no time, as he netted a goal in the first minute of the power play to cut the Irish deficit down to just one. At the 18:41 mark of the second period, Irish second-year forward Dylan Malmquist knotted the game up at 2-2 on a power play goal that was assisted by Gross. Maine and Notre Dame skated into the second intermission tied up at 2-2.

“We came out strong and then got ourselves into a little penalty trouble. We lost our discipline for a little bit and then we were unable to get it done in the third period, that was the essence of the game,” Head Coach Red Gendron said.

The luck of the Irish came into effect early in the third period as Malmquist netted his second goal of the game 2:46 into the third period. Malmquist second goal of the night was assisted from second-year defenseman Dennis Gilbert and third-year forward Dawson Cook. Notre Dame scored the dagger goal that put the game out of reach with 3:39 remaining thanks to a snipe from second-year forward Andrew Oglevie. Third-year forward Jake Evans and first-year forward Cal Burke assisted Oglevie’s goal. Maine put plenty of pressure on in the third period but was unable to crack the code against the Irish third-year goaltender Cal Petersen.

“We didn’t give up when we went down 2-0. We actually turned it up and played really well despite the early deficit and I’m proud of my guys for the comeback they put together tonight,” Head Coach Jeff Jackson said. “They gave us a couple of power plays and we took advantage.”

Maine travels to North Andover, Mass. next weekend to take on the Merrimack Warriors in a two-game series on Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m.