Rensselaer started the series against the University of Maine with a disappointing 3-5 loss, their seventh loss in their last eight games.
In the first period, Rensselaer was called for a holding penalty early, which Maine capitalized on during the power play with a low shot that beat the goaltender to break the deadlock. Yet, Rensselaer responded quickly. Two minutes after Maine took the lead, Rensselaer forward Kendal Davidson responded with a powerful shot that beat the goaltender to even the score. Fourteen minutes into the period, Maine took back the lead with a shot from the start of the attacking zone that managed to slip by the goaltender. Again, Rensselaer responded quickly, with Barbora Cerna-Proskova leveling the match by beating the goaltender at the far post after a beautiful display of puck control. An action-packed first period finished 2-2.
Both teams looked to gain control of the game moving into the next period, but it was Maine that took the lead first. Eight minutes into the second period, a Maine attacker turned in a loose puck after poor communication between Rensselaer’s goaltender and defense. Despite this lapse, Rensselaer continued to find good shots that kept Maine on their toes, with Rensselaer outshooting Maine 9-5 in the second period.
Less than a minute into the third period, Rensselaer equalized after Georgia Bailey attracted multiple defenders and played a cross to Mia Montanari, who fired a shot past the goaltender. Yet, after the goal, Maine dominated, racking up shots until they took back the lead after a clever series of passes allowed Maine attackers to tip in a cross at the back post.However, this time Maine held on to their lead, stamping their victory with an empty-net goal in the final seconds.
After losing 3-5 on Friday, Rensselaer looked for a rematch against Maine the next day. While improvements were made, the result continued to be a disappointment for the women’s team.
In the opening period, Maine struck quickly. A poor pass by a Rensselaer defender at the edge of their defensive zone allowed a Maine forward to break away on goal completely undefended. A clever move allowed Maine’s forward to easily slip the shot by Rensselaer goaltender for the opening goal, three minutes into the game. Soon after, Rensselaer’s Mia Montanari was called for a two-minute minor penalty for body checking. During the power play, Maine created quality shots, but the Rensselaer defense was resilient and pulled off a penalty kill. After the goal, Maine continued to control the play, and Rensselaer's unsuccessful counterattacks only briefly interrupted their possession. Maine added to their lead in the final minutes. After an initial saved shot, a Maine forward fought to gain a good position in front of the goal and deflected a loose shot for the second goal of the day. By the end of the first period, Maine outshot Rensselaer 17 to 12.
At the start of the second period, Rensselaer was able to link together several successful opportunities. Roughly two minutes into the second period, Rensselaer defender Brianna Livingstone fired a shot into the crease and Rensselaer forward Linn Mattsson deflected the puck into the back of the net, halving Maine’s lead. After the goal, the match seemed to even out, with both teams creating attack chances. In the final seconds of the period, a Maine forward picked up a two-minute minor penalty for body checking.
During the third period, Maine looked to tighten their grip on the match. They first completed the penalty kill from the previous period, and then continued to rack up shots at even strength. Again, Maine picked up a two-minute minor penalty for tripping, but Rensselaer couldn't generate any momentum on the power play, failing to convert for the second time in the game. Rensselaer defender Kaylynn Fisher put in a controversial hit on a Maine forward, causing her to leave the game injured. Maine’s head coach called for a video review, yet the officials ultimately decided no penalty had occurred. Maine was unfazed, continuing to place attacking pressure on the Rensselaer defense. In the last 90 seconds, Rensselaer pulled their goaltender. Maine took advantage and stamped their victory with an empty-net goal with 40 seconds left in the game. In the third period, Rensselaer was truly suffocated, being outshot 21 to 7.
The series ended Maine's three game losing streak. Women's hockey will face off against Princeton this Friday and Quinnipiac this Saturday at the Houston Field House. The official box scores for the first and second game are linked here.
