Filighera’s Bears showed progress in 16-win season

The University of Maine women’s hockey team overcame a lot of adversity in setting more milestones in its fourth Division I season.

But a 5-3 loss to Providence in Maine’s first-ever playoff game in the Eastern Hockey League last weekend left coach Rick Filighera and his players yearning for a more extended stay next season.

“I’m disappointed we didn’t get to this coming weekend,” said the 34-year-old Filighera. “But we proved we could compete against everybody on our schedule. We won the most games in the school’s history [16].”

“We’re happy with our season,” said senior defenseman and captain Kelly Nelson. “We played well, especially at the end of the year.”

Maine went 8-3-2 in its last 13 games including road wins over New Hampshire and Northeastern, who had gone 15-1 against Maine.

Maine wound up 16-15-4 overall.

Prior to the season, the Bears lost career all-time scorer Raffi Wolf to the German Olympic team but she will return next season and will be moved from forward to defense. And veteran defenseman Lauren Steblen decided not to play.

First line center Jarin Sjogren, suffered a broken leg that limited her to only 20 games. Wingers Cailee Heggestad, Cindy Biron and Christine Lane missed 43 games between them due to injury.

But sophomore left winger Meagan Aarts had a breakthrough year with 25 goals and 22 assists and linemate Karen Droog, also a sophomore, followed up an impressive 22-goal, 34-point freshman season with a 37-point sophomore season (25 goals, 12 assists).

Junior Nicole Munro wound up centering for Aarts and Droog and had eight goals and 11 assists. Sjogren had notched 17 points in 20 games and will be back as will Heggestad (4 goals, 4 assists in 21 games) and Biron.

Cheryl White (6 goals, 11 assists), Tristan Desmet (8 & 7) and Andrea Steranko (6 & 7 in 23 games) had productive freshman seasons up front as did defenseman Laura Maddin (1 & 6).

Winger Rebecca Culver (1 & 3) showed improvement.

Sophomore Jamie Hill (8 & 7 in 19 games) and junior Biron (4 & 7 in 27 games) also had good years.

Forwards Esther Granville (1 & 5) and Lane (1 & 0) will graduate as will defensemen Nelson (4 & 18), Tracy Caridade (5 & 8) and LeeAnne Irwin (2 & 4) and goalie Amanda Cronin (2.37 goals-against average).

But Naomi Smethurst (0 & 10), Emily Stevens (2 & 4) and Rebecca Ouellet (1 & 4) will be back on the blue line along with Wolf and goalies Lara Smart (2.50) and Dawn Froats (3.08) will return.

“We should have a strong team next year,” said Biron.

“Raffi will be a leader back on defense for us,” said Froats.

Filighera, who had set his sights on a 20-win season this year and expects at least 20 wins next year, said “We need to work harder in the offseason so we don’t get off to a slow start next season.”

He has several incoming recruits to bolster the lineup.