Twenty-six year-old Lauren Steblen has high expectations for the University of Maine’s women’s ice hockey program.

She will try to reach those goals after being named the interim head coach on Monday.

“I’m very excited. From the moment I stepped on this campus, I really wanted the program to succeed and get to a higher level,” said Steblen, who replaces Guy Perron.

Perron left after two years to become the top assistant/recruiting coordinator for the men’s program.

Steblen had been the recruiting coordinator and top assistant for both years under Perron and their goal was to reach the Frozen Four in five years.

“I definitely feel that is within reach,” said Steblen.

The Bears made dramatic progress last season, going 17-9-6 after being 14-15-3 the previous year.

There will be a national search for a permanent coach after the season.

The 26-year-old Steblen is a Clayton, N.Y. native who was a defenseman for a year and a half at Maine after transferring from St. Lawrence University (N.Y.). She graduated from Maine in 2002.

She said she will maintain the basic philosophy established by Perron which is to take care of business in the defensive zone first.

“We’ve been great in the defensive zone the past two years. And we’re going to work on our creativity in the offensive zone to try to score more goals,” said Steblen.

She said being named an interim head coach rather than a permanent coach is a positive for her.

“It’ll work more in my favor. When you consider how young I am, I’m getting a chance to show what I can do,” said Steblen.

She knows going from assistant coach to head coach will require a different relationship with the players.

“It’ll definitely be a different role. But we’ve got a good group. I respect them and they respect me. They’ll work really hard for me,” said Steblen, a former assistant coach at Bemidji State (Minn.).

She is excited about the incoming freshman class and she said she expects to expand the recruiting areas.

University of Maine Athletic Director Blake James said in a press release, “She has done a great job over the past two seasons and will provide continuity to the program as it looks to improve on the success of last season.”

With Steblen being elevated, the university is beginning a national search for a women’s full-time assistant since they don’t have one.

Kate Blair, the second assistant last year, left with her husband Campbell, the former Maine men’s hockey assistant who took the top assistant’s job at Alaska-Anchorage.