Struggles Continue for UMaine Women’s Hockey

ORONO, ME – Consistency has been difficult for the University of Maine women’s hockey team to find in conference games this season. The Black Bears earned just one out of a possible four points in a two-game series with Providence College, after a 2-1 loss Friday afternoon and a 2-2 tie Saturday at Alfond Arena.

Maine fell behind early in Friday’s matchup when the Friars’ Meaghan Rickard scored on a power play at 5:37 of the opening frame. With only five seconds left in a body checking penalty against Maine’s Ally Johnson, Providence put intensive pressure on Carly Jackson in the Black Bear goal crease. With traffic on the doorstep, Jackson protected the far goalpost in a scrum while Rickard snuck into the blue paint on the nearside. Providence’s Christina Putigna fed Rickard with a quick pass out of traffic and the junior from Coventry, Rhode Island tapped the puck home.

The Black Bears found the answer at 3:12 of the middle frame when freshman Celine Tedenby stole the puck just inside the Providence blue line and airmailed a shot past Friars goalie Madison Myers. With the score tied 1-1 in the third period, the Friars’ Whitney Dove was called for tripping at 3:20 of the final stanza. Maine got sloppy and turned over the puck in the near corner of its own zone while on the power play. Providence’s Maureen Murphy grabbed the biscuit and fed it in front of the goal to Christina Putigna who fired home a shorthanded goal at 4:46 of the third. This tally was the game-winner as the Friars held on to defeat Maine 2-1 Friday afternoon.

Saturday’s rematch saw the teams skate to a scoreless first period at the Alfond. Freshman standout Celine Tedenby put the Black Bears on the board just over a minute into the second period, taking advantage of a turnover at the blue line by the Providence defense and speeding down the left wing before beating netminder Madison Myers on the short-side.

The Friars responded less than two minutes later when Neve Van Pelt capitalized on a feed from Sara Hjalmarsson out of the near corner and tied the score at one. Black Bear senior Cailey Hutchison put Maine back in front 2-1 at 10:48 of the second when she corralled a pass from Liga Miljone and went five-hole on Myers from the top of the crease. Providence again had the answer when Meaghan Rickard found the back of the Maine net with a shot from center point at 18:27 of the second period.

A stalemate developed in the third with neither team able to break the 2-2 tie. Maine put 10 shots on goal in the final period while Providence posted five. The game went to overtime and saw Providence get the better of the scoring chances in the extra five minutes. Maine’s Michelle Weis went to the penalty box for tripping at 3:35 of overtime, setting up a Friars power play for the rest of the extra period. The Black Bears held Providence off the board in the final 90 seconds and the game ended in a 2-2 tie. This marks the second time in two weeks that the Black Bears have tied a Hockey East opponent at home (Maine and UConn tied 0-0 on 1/26/19).

With the loss and the tie to Providence over the weekend Maine remains in 8th place in women’s Hockey East. The Black Bears have 18 points, three ahead of Vermont for the final playoff spot in the conference. Maine and Vermont will meet in Orono for the last regular-season game for both teams on February 23rd. That matchup may determine who takes the eighth and final spot in the 2019 Women’s Hockey East Tournament.