By Caroline Ingram, news staff
The women’s hockey team traveled north this past weekend to go head to head with the Black Bears of the University of Maine at Alfond Arena. The Huskies entered the series ranked as the fifth best team in the nation and looked to stay hot having won their previous nine contests. On Friday, the team put their win streak in double digits with a 3-1 triumph. On Saturday, it was a different story as the Huskies had to come from behind to settle for a 3-3 overtime tie.
On Friday evening, first-year star forward Chloe Aurard opened the scoring with a goal at 12:04 into regulation. The rebound goal was Aurard’s fifth of the season and extended her point streak to six games.
The period closed with 4-on-4 play as first-year forward Alina Mueller was called for checking and Maine’s Celine Tedenby was called for hooking. Despite both teams having ample power play opportunities in the opening 20 minutes, with three penalties being called on either side, the period ended with NU still holding a 1-0 advantage.
In the second period, Mueller and Aurard teamed up to put the Huskies ahead 2-0. Aurard entered the zone with possession and Mueller trailing behind her. Mueller then picked up a drop pass and beat Maine goalie Carly Jackson.
After the game, head coach Dave Flint spoke to the impressive play by youngsters Mueller and Aurard so far this season, who are the leading the league in points by rookie players.
“The two of them have brought so much offensive talent to this team. They are fun to watch and it has been great to watch them integrate into college hockey so quickly,” he said.
Later in the period, the Huskies found themselves on the power play for the fourth time after the game’s twelfth penalty was assessed. On the man advantage it was Mueller who found the back of the net for the second time of the game to put NU up 3-0.
In the third period, second-year goalie Aerin Frankel lost her shutout bid as Maine cut into the deficit with a goal by Tedenby with 8:48 left in the game.
Maine pulled Jackson for the final minute of the game to try and shake up the scoreboard, but Frankel made two more impressive stops and the Huskies closed out the 3-1 win.
“Maine is never an easy opponent for us. They play hard and they play aggressive,” Flint said after the win.
On Saturday afternoon, the Huskies’ first period did not go according to plan, as Maine scored two goals late to jump out to a 2-0 lead. Maine forward Lydia Murray put one by fourth-year goalie Brittany Bugalski at 17:01 of the first. Then, Tereza Vanisova poked a rebound home to double the Maine lead.
The Huskies went to the locker room frustrated, being in a two-goal deficit despite owning the majority of the puck possession throughout the period and outshooting the Black Bears 27-14.
In the second period, the Huskies cut into the Maine lead with a power play goal by Aurard assisted by Mueller and second-year defenseman Brooke Hobson.
A few minutes later, with second-year forward Veronika Pettey in the box serving a NU penalty for too many players on the ice, the Black Bears finally broke through on the power play. The Huskies killed off nine straight penalties before surrendering the goal by Alyson Matteau that put Maine ahead 3-1.
“Our defensive unit has performed very well and we’ve had great success especially on the penalty kill,” said Flint. “I thought they worked together really well today and communication was key for us being on the kill so often in these two games.”
With time winding down in the second period, the Huskies continued to battle and were able to halve the deficit yet again. This time it was first-year forward Mia Brown who recorded her first collegiate goal after tipping a shot from the point by third-year defenseman Paige Capistran.
Just over two minutes into the third period Chloe Aurard collected her second goal of the night with a blast from just outside Jackson’s crease. Aurard’s goal notched the teams at three goals a piece, a score that held for the remainder of the period and sent the game into overtime.
In overtime, each team recorded four shots on goal, but both Bugalski and Jackson were up to the task and the game ended in a 3-3 tie.
Overall, it was a successful trip for the Huskies, who hadn’t won an away game at Alfond Arena in over three years. After going 1-0-1 in that same arena this weekend, it’s fair to say the Huskies have remedied their struggles up north.
