It will be an all-Bear affair when Maine and Brown take the ice for a non-conference women’s hockey game Friday at Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn.
The Maine Black Bears will be the host for the first of a two-game set against the Brown University Bears. The two teams will rematch Saturday at Alfond Arena in Orono.
Maine enters the game 2-4 this season, having won both its opener and its latest game to bookend a four-game losing streak. The Black Bears are coming off a 2-1 victory at Hockey East rival Merrimack on Sunday. Catherine Tufts and Abbey Cook provided the scoring for Maine, which overcame a 1-0 deficit at the first intermission before taking the lead in the second period.
The game also featured the season debut of sophomore Taylor Landry. The Auburn native didn’t record a point or a shot, but got to lace up her skates for the first time in a game this season.
The former Edward Little/Leavitt star will be returning to her former home rink at Norway Savings Bank Arena. Landry appeared in eight games as a freshman last year for the Black Bears, but did not record any points — a far cry from the 143 goals she scored during her high school career.
The Black Bears boast another Mainer on the team — junior defenseman Anna Wright of North Berwick. Wright has one assist in four games played this year, and has totaled two points in 23 career games.
Audra Richards leads the team with four point (all goals), while Brooke Stacey has three and Cassidy Herman and Tufts each have two. Meghann Treacy has a 2.51 goals-against average and .934 save percentage while playing goal in all six games.
Maine was predicted to finish fourth in the Hockey East preseason coaches’ poll behind Boston College, Boston University and Northeastern. The Black Bears already have defeats to BC and BU, as well as a pair of losses against non-conference Quinnipiac. They opened the season by defeating conference rival New Hampshire, 4-0.
The Bears of Brown will be playing their first regular-season game of the season after beating the Toronto Aeros 1-0 in an exhibition game Sunday. The Bears were 5-23-1 last season, but two of those wins came against Maine. Brown graduated three of its top four scorers from last season, but sophomore Sam Donovan returns after producing 12 goals and five assists in her freshman campaign.
Game time is set for 7 p.m.
wkramlich@sunjournal.com
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