UMaine women set to skate

They’ve got a new status and a new coach.

The University of Maine’s women’s hockey team is in its first season as a varsity program and 29-year-old Rick Filighera will lead the Bears through this transition season in the ECAC Alliance.

Next year, Maine will become a scholarship program and will have to leave the non-scholarship Alliance League for the ECAC Division I League.

“It’s great to be able to go into the different parts of the university for [varsity] athletes that I’ve never seen before, like the study room,” said junior goalie Amy Oliver of Orono.

“Now we’re part of the athletic community,” said fifth-year senior captain and center Alana Ahearn of Standish. “Instead of just playing for ourselves, we’re playing for our university.”

The team itself, according to Filighera, comprises a scoring line, a defense-minded line, three good defensemen, a quality goalie and a bunch of steadily-improving beginners.

The scoring line features Brewer’s Alison Lorenz at center flanked by Alicia Gilmore, also from Brewer, and Freeport’s Jamie Schofield. Sophomore Lorenz, who played on the varsity boys team at Brewer High for four years, had 22 goals and 20 assists last season. Schofield had 1 & 5 as a forward and defenseman a year ago.

“That line should do real well in this league,” said Filighera.

Ahearn, who had 5 & 8 a year ago, will center the defensive-minded line between Michelle Young and Michelle Wheaton.

Beth Burrington and Ingrid Wedberg will play the wings on the third line with Filighera indicating that Lorenz and Ahearn will take turns double shifting as the center on that line.

Inexperienced players Katherine Ross, Crystal Sellars, Tori Freitas, Ashleigh Cox and Omyra Dalvalle will eventually be worked in.

“We’re working to get them ready to compete,” said Filighera.

Junior Christina Hedges, who led the defense corps a year ago with five goals and nine assists, will anchor the blue line along with Allison Haley and Stephanie Gabriele. Haley had 1 & 5 a year ago.

Defenseman Heather Day is injured.

“Our defense will be one of our strong points,” said Oliver, who will be backed up by freshman Sarah Dolan. “They’ll hold us in games. It’s a rebuilding year for us but we’ll hold our own.”

Filighera said Oliver will be “one of the top goalies in the league.”

Lorenz said the team’s apparent lack of depth won’t be a factor.

“We had the same situation last year. Our team has a lot of heart. We all want to be here. We really jelled as a team last year and I think we will again this year,” said Lorenz, who led the Bears to an 11-4-2 mark a year ago and a playoff berth.

“I have seen great improvement in the first week,” said Filighera. “We’re going to really enjoy this season and try to be the best Division III team we can be.”

He expects Middlebury, Bowdoin and R.I.T. to be the favorites but he feels his Bears will be in the mix fighting for the fourth and final playoff berth and could finish even higher.

Maine opens at home with a non-league game against Sacred Heart (Conn.) on Saturday at 1 p.m.

UM women’s hockey schedule

NOVEMBER 15 Sacred Heart, 1 p.m., Orono 22 At Middlebury College, 3 p.m. 23 At University of Vermont, 1 p.m. DECEMBER 3 At Bowdoin College, 7 p.m. 6 At Amherst College, 7:30 p.m. 7 At Williams College, 2 p.m. JANUARY 17 Wesleyan College, 1 p.m., Orono 18 Connecticut College, 12:10 p.m., Brewer 24 Bates College, 6 p.m., Orono 25 Southern Maine, 12:30 p.m., Orono 31 RPI, 7:30 p.m., Orono FEBRUARY 1 RIT, 12:10, Brewer 7 At Wesleyan College, 3 p.m. 8 At Connecticut College, 12:45 p.m. 11 Bowdoin College, 7 p.m., Orono 14 Amherst College, 4 p.m., Brewer 15 Williams College, 1 p.m., Orono 21 At Colgate University, 12:15 p.m. 22 At Hamilton College, 1 p.m. 25 At Southern Maine, 7 p.m.