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ORONO – If you had to make up a word to describe the mood of University of Maine women’s ice hockey coach Rick Filighera, it could be something like “frustramistic.”
That would be a cross between frustrated and optimistic.
The frustrating part is the four losses by two goals or less and the fact his Bears have been held to two goals or fewer seven times in their 13 games. Maine is 5-7-1 overall, 1-5-1 in ECAC Eastern Women’s Hockey League play.
The optimistic portion is, the Bears begin a string of nine straight home games against Wayne State this Friday (2 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m.) and are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss against nationally ranked Dartmouth College team Filighera termed “the best 60 minutes of hockey we have ever played, by far, against a team of that level.”
Maine twice overcame one-goal deficits against the Big Green, which had thumped the Bears 6-0 Friday night. Dartmouth entered the series ranked third in the most recent U.S. College Hockey Online poll.
“Everyone worked hard Saturday night. There were no passengers,” said the fifth-year Bear coach, who pointed out that his team had a goal waved off because it was ruled to have been kicked.
He maintained that it was accidental and should have been allowed.
Filighera said his team “deserves better” than its record indicates.
“But we aren’t scoring goals. It’s frustrating because we know we can. I think the girls are trying too hard,” he said.
Maine is averaging three goals per game overall but only 1.6 in its seven losses.
Filighera has pinpointed what needs to be done to end the drought.
“We’re getting too close to the net. We’ve got to stay higher in the slot,” he said.
It is more difficult to convert rebounds if a player is in too tight and it’s easier for goalies to smother shots.
“We’ve also got to shoot more. We’re trying to be too fancy with the puck. We’ve got to start scoring ugly goals,” added Filighera.
He has been getting plenty of production from the line of junior center Jarin Sjogren (4 goals, 7 assists), between two sophomores, left wing Meagan Aarts (9 & 7) and right wing Karen Droog (8 & 4).
The trio leads the Bears in scoring.
“They are a good Division I line,” said Filighera, who added that Aarts also provides a necessary feistiness to the lineup.
Highly touted sophomore goalie Lara Smart, a former goalie of the year in the South Central Alberta Midget AA male hockey league, has finally emerged after a frustrating freshman year that saw her play just one game due to a groin pull.
Smart made 35 saves in the OT loss at Dartmouth and will challenge veterans Dawn Froats and Amanda Cronin for playing time.
Filighera said junior center Nicole Munro has been outstanding and he has moved senior defenseman Tracy Caridade up front to “create more offense. She can shoot the puck.”
Whitehead seeks puck pressure
Putting more pressure on the puck is what University of Maine men’s hockey coach Tim Whitehead is stressing this week as the Bears prepare for hot Boston College, which has won six of its last seven and held five of its last seven opponents to one goal or less.
The defending national champion Eagles are 8-5-1 overall, 4-3 in Hockey East.
Maine, 7-5-2 and 3-2, had its five-game unbeaten streak (4-0-1) and four-game winning skein snapped with a 4-1 loss at New Hampshire Saturday night.
“We’ve got to put more pressure on the puck carrier and create turnovers [in the neutral zone],” said Whitehead. “We gave up the zone too easily Saturday. We also have to forecheck more aggressively.”
He hopes to have speedy sophomore winger Todd Jackson back in the lineup. Jackson has missed five games with a separated shoulder.
Whitehead will split the goaltending chores between seniors Mike Morrison and Matt Yeats.
“They have been more consistent lately. They’re both helping the team,” said Whitehead, who wants his forwards to continue their strong defensive play in order to help out the goalies and defense.
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