By Bradley Rosenberg
The Northeastern women’s hockey team traded wins with the Maine Black Bears over the weekend with a 3-2 victory on Saturday and a 2-1 overtime loss on Sunday. The games, which both took place at the Matthews Arena, were critical as the squad approaches the end of leage play in the Hockey East.
The first goal of Sunday’s game was scored in the first period by Black Bear forward Tristan Desmet, but the Huskies soon caught up at the beginning of the second period with a goal by NU freshman forward Cyndy Kenyon. The two teams were tied past the third period due to the performances of Husky junior goalie Chanda Gunn, who had 25 saves, and Maine goalie Laura Smart, who had 28 saves. At 1:59 of the overtime period, however, Maine forward Karen Droog slapped a shot past Gunn for the win, bringing Maine’s season record to 9-13-4 and NU’s season record to 9-17-2.
Gunn was disappointed with the loss to Maine, but was pleased with the overall team performance.
“The game [with Maine] was a tough game,” she said. “It was important to me that I play and win, but they got shots past me. [Still,] I’m very proud of my team. We did a good job of keeping up with them.”
The first goal of Saturday’s game was scored in the first period by NU senior defenseman Kim Greene. Maine brought the score up 1-1 soon afterward, though, as Black Bear forward Meagan Aarts scored at the very end of the first period. During the second period, Maine forward Desmet scored during a power play for a 2-1 Maine advantage going into the third period. At the very beginning of the third period, however, Greene got her second goal of the game through the legs of Maine goalie Dawn Froats to even up the score. At 8:58, forward Kenyon netted her first ever college career goal to win the game for NU’s second win over Maine.
“We played a really good game,” said Green. “We worked with each other, our passes were connecting. Any goals that happened we were using each other to make.”
Green thinks this teamwork is crucial to NU attaining wins.
“We work together as much as possible in practice so we can work together in the game,” she says.
Green, along with NU goalie Gunn, was recently named to the Hockey East Honor Roll, but she doesn’t believe that her work is what makes the team succeed.
“We’re a team; there’re no real superstars on our team. We all work just as hard, and I think our team is a very hardworking team,” she said.
Kenyon, who scored her first two goals during the weekend Maine games, was named Hockey East’s Co-Rookie of the Week due to her hard work.
The girls aren’t settling on their achievements. Instead they look towards next week, as the team plays the University of Connecticut in another key Hockey East matchup.
“If we want to make it to the playoffs,” says Gunn, “this is the game we have to win. We definitely have the talent and we definitely want to win. The teamwork, though; I think that’s important. Whenever we win we do so as a team.”
