Added punch has Bears thinking 20 wins

Rick Filighera, fifth-year coach for the University of Maine women’s hockey team, thinks his Black Bears can win 20 games for the first time in the program’s history.

For the time being, he would just like to have all of his players available.

Sophomore defenseman-winger Emily Stevens has been playing for the soccer team, sophomore defenseman Rebecca Ouellet has been with the field hockey team, and injuries have sidelined wingers Christine Lane (concussion) and Cailee Heggestad (knee).

Defenseman Lauren Steblen and winger Kate Robson have decided not to play, and center-winger Jamie Hill is awaiting a decision on her eligibility and hasn’t played yet. The school’s all-time leading scorer, Raffi Wolf, is redshirting this year so she can play for Germany in the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

“I think we’re going to be real good,” said senior defenseman LeeAnne Irwin. “We’ve only been able to run three lines, but, in a couple of weeks, we’ll have four lines along with six defensemen, so we’ll be a lot stronger depth-wise. Skating four lines will help us out. I think we can win 20 games.”

The Bears, who are off to a 2-3-1 start, went 15-14-1 overall last year and missed the ECAC playoffs by one point with their 10-13-1 league record.

The Bears’ primary problem was scoring. They were held to two goals or fewer 13 times.

“Our scoring has improved. We have four new forwards who can all score and a lot of people improved over the summer,” said Irwin.

Senior goalie Amanda Cronin of York said the team will benefit from having a lot of experienced players, including four seniors.

“Once we’re at full force, we feel we can make a run for the league title,” said Cronin.

The league has changed as the Bears find themselves in the Eastern Women’s Hockey League with perennial powers New Hampshire, Northeastern, and Providence along with Niagara, Boston College, and newcomers the University of Connecticut and Quinnipiac (Conn.). All eight teams will make the single-elimination playoffs.

“We have been getting strong play from our goaltenders and I’m very excited about our new players,” said Filighera.

The five freshmen have all registered their first points through Maine’s first four games.

Two of them, left winger Cheryl White (2 assists) and center Andrea Steranko (1 goal, 3 assists), are on a line with 2001 ECAC All-Rookie team selection Karen Droog (4 & 1).

Droog’s 34 points a year ago led the league’s freshmen in scoring. She had 22 goals.

The other two freshman forwards, left wing Rebecca Culver (1 & 1) of Topsham and center Tristan Desmet (1 & 2), are linemates with senior Esther Granville (0 & 1).

Sophomore left wing Meagan Arts, the team’s second-leading goal scorer last year with 12, is off to a fast start with 3 & 2. She has been with junior center Jarin Sjogren (0 & 2) and junior Cindy Biron (0 & 1).

Junior center Nicole Munro has two goals while linemates Heggestad and Stevens played their first games over the weekend.

Irwin (2 & 2), senior captain Kelly Nelson (1 & 4), sophomore Naomi Smethurst (0 & 2), senior Tracy Caridade (2 & 0), and impressive freshman Laura Maddin (0 & 2) have capably manned the blue line. Nelson was the team’s second-leading scorer a year ago with 24 points.

Cronin (1-1-1, 2.27 goals-against average, .905 save percentage) and junior Dawn Froats (1-2, 3.84, .885) have supplied Filighera with solid goaltending and sophomore Lara Smart could climb into the picture after an injury-marred freshman season