Vermont women’s hockey is currently in the middle of the pack in the competitive Hockey East conference.
Following an 0-2 weekend set against formidable opponents in Maine and New Hampshire, the Catamounts are now on the outside, looking in at a top-three seed in the conference.
The Cats took on the Maine Black Bears on Friday Dec. 1. Maine outplayed UVM in early-season meetings, beating the Cats on back-to-back nights by a combined score of 6-2, and early in this match-up it looked like history was repeating itself.
Maine jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first with goals from junior forward Mira Seregely and senior forward Rahel Enzler following a few turnovers.
A few minutes into the second period, Catamount sophomore forward Lara Beecher scored the team’s first goal of the night and her fifth of the season. Beecher’s goal kept the Cats within striking distance, as senior goalie Jessie McPherson and the rest of the defense kept the Bears off the scoreboard.
Vermont lost all momentum after Enzler scored her second goal of the night midway through the final period, which all but killed the Catamount’s hopes for a comeback and extended their lead to two.
Vermont first-year forward Kaylee Lewis found the back of the net before the final buzzer, but it was too little, too late for the Cats as Maine claimed the season sweep over Vermont with a lopsided 3-2 victory.
Less than 24 hours later, the Catamounts were back on the road and on the ice in Durham, New Hampshire to take on the conference rival UNH Wildcats.
The Vermont defense looked much improved from the night prior, limiting UNH to just four shots in the opening period. But the Cats couldn’t take advantage, leading to a scoreless period for both squads.
The second period was much of the same. Both teams failed to get any real offensive action, with Vermont winning the shot total by a narrow 5-4 margin. The Catamount defense picked up where they left off, keeping the Wildcats off the board despite having to defend three power plays.
The third period continued the trend of dominant defense, and it looked as if an overtime period was inevitable, especially after the callback of a New Hampshire goal where junior forward Kira Juodikis hit the puck in with her glove.
However, with two minutes to go, the New Hampshire offense finally broke through the Catamount defense that had been impenetrable for nearly 50 minutes. UNH senior forward Nicole Kelly scored the game’s lone goal, giving New Hampshire their second consecutive one-score victory and Vermont their second consecutive loss.
Despite the unsuccessful outcomes, Coach Plumer urges his players and fans to see the silver lining.
“Hockey can be such a cruel game at times and this game, and this weekend is an example of that,” he said. “I’m proud of this group for their resilience and that we will come through stronger.”
Vermont will have some ground to make up, but with a five-day break before their next contest against Merrimack, the squad should be well-rested and eager to get back on the ice.
