UMaine women ready to show improvement Black Bears hoping to increase scoring output

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ORONO – It was a frustrating season for the University of Maine women’s hockey team in 2004-2005.

Eight losses in the Bears’ last 10 games ruined a promising first half and kept them out of the Hockey East playoffs. They finished 14-15-3 overall, 5-13-3 in league play.

But second-year head coach Guy Perron and assistants Lauren Steblen and Kate Blair have addressed the deficiencies and the result is an optimistic outlook.

“I think we’re going to do a lot better this year,” predicted junior defenseman Kelly Law. “The freshmen have a lot of speed and we’re a more experienced team. We’ve got a big junior class.”

One of the Bears’ problems last year was that first-year goalie Rachel Gettings (14-15-2, 2.38 goals-against average, .876 save percentage) had to play every game and, after an impressive first half, the work load caught up with her in the second half.

Freshmen Lundy Day and Genevieve Turgeon have been brought in to compete with Gettings for playing time.

“Rachel’s going to be a lot better this year because now she has competition and she knows that she has two other girls ready to step in if something goes wrong. It’s going to be a lot better situation,” said sophomore left wing Danielle Tangredi.

“Right now, it’s pretty wide-open,” said Perron.

Law (2 goals, 5 assists), senior Morgan Janusc (1 & 5), junior Karine Senecal (0 & 9) and sophomore Julie Poulin (4 & 7) will headline a veteran defense corps along with Hampden sophomore Kim Meagher (0 & 4), who transferred in from Boston College.

Sophomore Jenna Cowan (0 & 1) has been moved back to her natural defense position after being a forward and 5-foot-11 freshman Chantal Jaillet has looked good.

“I’m counting on our defense to be solid. We’ve got speed and size back there and they can really shoot the puck. They need to get better defensively,” said Perron.

The Bears graduated their top two scorers but 11 of the next 12 are back led by senior center Cheryl White (12 & 10), RW Sonia Corriveau (9 & 10), center Brigitte Laflamme (5 & 11) and RW Katie Sunstrum (9 & 6), all juniors.

Maine averaged only 2.4 goals per game a year ago.

“We’re putting the puck in the net a lot more in practice and, hopefully, that will translate into the games,” said Law.

Junior center Amy Quirion (4 & 1), Tangredi (2 & 2) and sophomore LW Sheri Wauters (2 & 1) will also be back as will junior RW Kim MacElhaney, who missed all of last year due to back surgery.

Freshmen Jackie Holmes, Vanessa Vani and Patricia Gagnon and Ohio State transfer Pam Patterson will battle for playing time up front. Gagnon won’t be eligible able to play until January.

“We’re a lot faster than we were last year,” said Perron.

Poulin said another positive is the veterans have a better understanding of Perron and his systems.

Maine opens against Robert Morris (Pa.) this weekend.

UMaine 2005-06 Schedule

October

8 – Robert Morris, 4 p.m.

9 – Robert Morris, noon

10 – at New Hampshire, 7 p.m.

16 – at Boston College, 2 p.m.

22 – Connecticut, noon

23 – Northeastern, 1 p.m.

28 – Sacred Heart, 7 p.m.

29 – Sacred Heart, 7 p.m.

November

12 – at Providence, 2 p.m.

13 – at Providence, 2 p.m.

19 – Rensselaer Polytechnic, noon

20 – Rensselaer Polytechnic, 1 p.m.

25 – at North Dakota, 7 p.m.

26 – at North Dakota, 7 p.m.

December

3 – at Northeastern, 2 p.m.

4 – at Northeastern, 2 p.m.

9 – at Quinnipiac, 7 p.m.

10 – at Quinnipiac, 4 p.m.

January

13 – New Hampshire, 7 p.m.

14 – New Hampshire, 3 p.m.

21 – at Vermont, 2 p.m.

22 – Providence, 4 p.m.

28 – Boston University, noon

February

4 – at Connecticut, 2 p.m.

5 – at Connecticut, 2 p.m.

11 – Vermont, noon

12 – Vermont, noon

18 – at Boston University, 3 p.m.

19 – at Boston University, 3 p.m.

25 – Boston College, noon

26 – Boston College, noon