ORONO – The University of Maine women’s hockey team last tasted victory Sept. 29 in their season opener against Sacred Heart.

The Black Bears have gone 18 games without a win (0-16-2) and they are hoping to snap that streak this weekend when they travel to Detroit to face Wayne State University tonight and Saturday afternoon.

Maine first-year coach Dan Lichterman and his players aren’t dwelling on the winless streak and they’re looking forward to the second half.

“[The winless streak] isn’t even an issue,” said Lichterman. “The past is past. At times we played well and at other times we haven’t. Nine of our losses were by two goals or less and they could have gone a different way if we hadn’t made mistakes.”

“I don’t think about it. We’re looking at it as a new season,” said senior defenseman Jenna Cowan, who will return to the lineup after missing 11 games with mononucleosis.

“You can’t totally forget about it. We know we don’t want to feel this way again. [The streak] gives us more desire,” said senior center Pam Patterson.

Senior defenseman Kim Meagher of Hampden agreed, saying, “We’ll use the first half as motivation.”

Patterson said the long Christmas break and being able to play some casual pickup hockey reinvigorated her.

“It was fun,” said Patterson.

Patterson also said the players know the odds are in their favor.

“There’s nowhere to go but up,” she said.

Lichterman echoed her sentiment.

“We’ve got nothing to lose. We just want to keep getting better every day,” said Lichterman. “There’s still a long way to go in Hockey East. We’re done with Providence, but we’ve got at least two games left with everybody else.”

Maine is 0-6-2 in league play.

Lichterman and the players said they have had a productive week of practice.

“We’ve had a great week. Everybody is ready and focused. A lot of them came back in better shape,” said Lichterman.

Maine has averaged just 1.2 goals per game while allowing 3.5. The return of center Taryn Peacock, the team’s co-leading scorer along with left wing Vanessa Vani, should give them a lift. Peacock missed the last two games due to injury.

Peacock and Vani each have three goals and six assists.

Maine’s special teams have struggled as the power play is operating at a dismal 4.7 percent while the penalty-killing is a sub-par 77.7 percent.

Lichterman explained he couldn’t spend a lot of time on them in the first half because he had to “get the day-to-day” regimen down since he is the team’s third coach in three years and they had to adjust to him and his systems.

They are spending much more time on the special teams now.

Goaltenders Genevieve Turgeon (1-11-2, 3.85 goals-against average, .907 save percentage) and Sarah Bishop (0-5, 2.61, .930) have been bright spots, but Lichterman said, “I have challenged both of them to be even better in the second half.”

lmahoney@bangordailynews.net

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