The University of Maine women’s 5-5 hockey team has been a mystery.

Fourth-year coach Rick Filighera used the 13-hour bus ride from Mercyhurst College (Pa.) to conduct individual meetings with each player to try to solve the mystery.

“We have started slow. There are times we haven’t been mentally ready to play. I wanted to get a feel for why that happens,” said Filighera. “When we score early, we play better.”

There wasn’t a definitive answer. Some told him it was simply a case of the nerves.

The Bears have a crucial ECAC road trip this weekend when they visit Providence College and Northeastern University on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, at 2 p.m.

Maine is 2-4 in ECAC play.

In addition to getting his players focused from the outset, Filighera intends to try to improve his team’s forecheck and penalty-killing this week.

“I really believe in our forecheck,” said Filighera. “We pinch our defensemen in hard and other teams have a tough time breaking the puck out against us.

“But we don’t know how to create offense off it. We are too robotic. A lot of it is because we have so many new players,” he added.

Filighera has also changed personnel on the penalty kill since his team is last in the ECAC with a 65 percent success rate.

“Our goaltenders have let up some bad goals [on the penalty kill] and we haven’t been clearing the puck out of the [defensive] zone as well as we should be,” said Filighera.

Lewiston sophomore left wing Cindy Biron has been moved onto the penalty-killing unit “because she’s strong on the puck,” according to Filighera.

He also intends to revamp his sluggish power play by employing the philosophy utilized by his beloved Buffalo Sabres.

“We’re going to get the puck back to the points, take a quick shot on goal and converge on the net,” said Filighera, who prefers snap shots and wrist shots to slap shots.

Maine will be without freshmen center Jamie Hill and goaltender Lara Smart until the new year due to a recurring neck problem and a groin pull, respectively.

The Bears continue to be led by the line of RW Jarin Sjogren (6 goals, 5 assists), C Raffi Wolf (4 & 6) and LW Biron (2 & 6) along with LW Karen Droog (6 & 2) and defenseman Kelly Nelson (3 & 4).

Colby claims NESCAC honors

Colby College of Waterville, which finished 7-1 this fall and earned a share of the New England Small College Athletic Conference football championship, has placed six players on the All-NESCAC Team.

White Mules coach Tom Austin, in his 15th season at Colby, was selected as the league’s coach of the year. Austin directed the Mules to the best record since 1994 (7-1).

Three offensive standouts earned spots on the squad, including sophomore quarterback Pat Conley of Bath. Conley led the conference in passing, completing 139 of 250 throws for a league-record 1,996 yards and 14 touchdowns. All were Colby single-season marks.

Noyes, a speedy wide receiver-turned-tailback from Silver Lake, N.H., led the NESCAC with 54 receptions and 872 yards. After moving to the backfield, Noyes netted 386 yards on 57 carries and scored three TDs.

Noyes, who also was named to the New England Football Writers’ Division II-III All-Star team, also completed 3 of 3 passes for 86 yards and two scores. He finished the season with 1,258 all-purpose yards.

Junior Bodo Heiliger of Allendale, N.J., was honored for his work on the offensive line. The 6-foot-3, 258-pound junior, who has started 18 straight games for the Mules, helped Colby average 382 yards per game.

On defense, senior co-captain Mark D’Ambrosio of Winthrop, Mass., was the choice at strong safety. The four-year starter made 64 tackles, forced three fumbles and made two interceptions.

Senior linebacker Drew Johnson of Minneapolis, Minn., and sophomore defensive tackle Kevin Smalley of Seminole, Fla., were Colby’s second-team selections.

Also, former Stearns High School star Travis Cummings of Bowdoin College in Brunswick was named to the first-team defense.

The junior defensive back from Millinocket registered 60 tackles and made four interceptions for the Polar Bears.

Husson sponsors Shop for Cure

The Husson College women’s basketball team and the Delta Sigma Delta sorority are teaming up later this week to sponsor a Shop for the Cure fundraiser to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Maine Affiliate.

During the annual Paul Bunyan Tournament Friday and Saturday at Husson’s Newman Gymnasium in Bangor, the organizations will be selling Ribbons for the Cure. People are asked to honor somebody they love by purchasing a paper ribbon to be displayed at the event. Or, socks and Dakin bears also will be on sale.

Proceeds from Shop for the Cure support grants and breast cancer education in Maine and on a national level.

For information, contact Joyce Goodine at 941-7134.