ORONO – Bowdoin senior Caroline Chapin said playing the University of Maine women’s hockey team in this year’s traditional meeting was an entirely new experience.

In the Maine Black Bears’ 9-1 victory over the Polar Bears Wednesday night, Chapin of Phippsburg, who scored Division III Bowdoin’s only goal, said the first-year Division I team is powerful.

“They’ve improved a lot. They’ve got a lot of good freshman. We were surprised,” Chapin said. “My goal? I just got lucky.”

Chapin said she didn’t even notice the concern on the UMaine bench when leading scorer Raffi Wolf went down and came out of the game with 9 minutes, 26 seconds to go in the first. Chapin said she didn’t think Wolf – who leads UMaine with 19 points – appeared any better than her teammates.

UMaine coach Rick Filighera said Wolf went into the boards face first and was shook up more than hurt. But she sat out the rest of the game as trainers watched for signs of a concussion.

The loss to the UMaine players was frightening.

“We were really worried about Raffi. We said, `Let’s step it up and pop a couple in for Raffi,” said linemate Kira Misikowetz, who scored UMaine’s first two goals off Wolf assists, and then assisted on another UMaine goal in the first after Wolf left the game.

UMaine’s cohesive effort without their top scorer was what Filighera was looking for Wednesday. The Bears wanted to go into their Christmas break 6-5, which they did, and without some of the bad habits they’ve showed, which they worked well on overcoming.

After a second period in which they allowed Bowdoin six power-play shots, the Black Bears played tighter defense in the third – shutting down Bowdoin’s power play and allowing the Polar Bears just one full-strength shot.

“On the penalty kill [in the second period] one player was out there for a minute and a half. That’s a bad habit,” Filighera said. “I told them that. They took it to heart in the third. Our big thing is we need to grow as a team.”

UMaine showed some growth in the third when its final three goals came from a number of new scorers on the second and third lines.

Left winger Esther Granville scored her first goal of the year at 8:02 in the third period, winger-turned-center Angela Hill scored her second at 13:38, and defenseman Lee Anne Irwin scored her first.

“We knew we were playing sloppy,” Misikowetz said. “We were a bit lazy. We finished with a few good goals. I’m happy we’re now 6-5 and above .500.” Black Bears 9, Polar Bears 1

Bowdoin (1-4-1) 1 0 0 – 1 Maine (6-5-0) 4 2 3 – 9

First period – 1. Maine, Misikowetz 5 (Wolf), 2:32, 2. Maine, Misikowetz 6 (Wolf) 3:37, 3. Maine, Nelson 4 (Granville) 10:20, 4. Bowdoin, Chapin, una., 10:33, 5. Maine, Baude 2 (Misikowetz, Keller) 18:02. Penalties: none

Second period – 6. Maine, Nelson 5 (Caza), 4:51, 7. Maine, Keller 2 (Baude, Misikowetz), 19:08. Penalties: Maine, A. Howell, tripping, 9:39, Maine, Misikowetz, elbowing, 12:56, Bowdoin, Hinman, interference, 19:48

Third period – 8. Maine, Granville 1 (J. Howell), 8:02, 9. Maine, Hill 2 (C. Hedges), 13:38, 10. Maine, Irwin 1 (Nicholas), 14:36. Penalties: Maine, A. Howell, roughing, 6:34

Shots on goal: Bowdoin 1-6-1-8; Maine 13-9-14-36

High-percentage scoring chances: Bowdoin 3-5-1-9; Maine 16-14-19-49

Power-play opportunities: Bowdoin 0 of 3, Maine 0 of 1

Goaltenders: Bowdoin, Worthing (36 shots-27 saves); Maine, Oliver (8-7)

Attendance: 75 (est.)