The University of Maine women’s ice hockey team won their Hockey East opener at Alfond Arena in Orono over New Hampshire Friday evening, while the men’s team was also victorious in the season opener as part of the Ice Breaker Tournament out in Colorado over Air Force.
At Alfond Arena, Ida Kuoppala scored a game winning goal with 7:31 left in the third period as the women’s team topped the visiting UNH Wildcats 3-2. Grace Heiting gave Maine a 1-0 lead by tallying early in the first period at 1:05. Kyla Bent evened the score 1-1 with a goal 6:41 into the second for the Wildcats. Alyssa Wruble scored unassisted 5:51 into the third to give the home team the lead back 2-1, before Shea Verrier knotted things again for UNH at 10:08. The winner from Kuoppala came 2:31 later on assists from Luisa Welcke and Rachel Enzler. Welcke had two assists in the win, while Jorden Mattison made 16 saves in net as the Black Bears improve to 2-2 and now 1-0 in Hockey East. Ava Boutilier made 32 saves in the loss, as the Wildcats fall to 1-3, 0-1. The teams play again Saturday at 2 p.m. to finish off the two game Hockey East series.
At Cadet Ice Arena, freshman Brandon Holt scored his first career collegiate goal in the second period that ended up being the game winner as the Maine men’s hockey team beat Air Force 4-1 in the season opener and the first night of the Ice Breaker Tournament. Grant Hebert staked the Black Bears to a 1-0 lead at 14:16 of the first period, before Holt got the difference maker 10:11 into the second. The Falcons cut it to 2-1 when Mitchell Digby scored on the powerplay late in the second. Air Force had a chance to tie it early in the third period with another powerplay, but Lynden Breen had other thoughts as he scored shorthanded at 3:29. Breen finished the scoring when he found the net for the second time in the period just 1:40 later. Ben Poisson and Luke Antonacci both added two assists in the victory, while Reid Pabich, Killian Kiecker-Olson, and Cole Hanson all had one helper a piece. Transfer goalie Jacob Mucitelli made 20 stops in net in his first career start as a Black Bear. Aaron Randazzo made 28 saves in the loss for Air Force. Maine finishes off their two game weekend when they head to Denver on Saturday for an 8 p.m. Eastern Time faceoff with the defending national champion and preseason #1 team in the country the Denver Pioneers.
