The University of Maine women’s ice hockey team began their 2024-25 season on Friday night and Saturday afternoon with a two game non-conference series against ECAC opponent the #10 Quinnipiac Bobcats at Alfond Arena in Orono. Quinnipiac showed why they were an NCAA Tournament team last season, sweeping the series and shutting out Maine on the weekend.
In Game 1 on Friday night- Maya Labad scored two goals, while Sophie Urban, Makayla Watson, and Bryn Piper all added one goal and one assist each as Quinnipiac rolled over Maine in the season opener 7-0.
Labad scored the game winner 6:38 into the first period for the Bobcats, and QU outshot the Black Bears 32-20. Both teams went 0-1 on the powerplay. Julia Bachetti took the loss in net for Maine with 25 saves. Kaley Doyle picked up the shutout victory in between the pipes for Quinnipiac, stopping all 20 shots she faced.
In Game 2 Saturday afternoon- Quinnipiac had 28 of the first 33 shots on net, and got a first period game winning goal from Laurence Frenette to cap off the sweep by a score of 4-0.
The Maine goaltender Bachetti kept the Black Bears in the game for almost a full two periods despite the shots desparity, before Labad scored her third goal of the weekend at 18:11 of the middle period to double the Bobcats lead. Emerson Jarvis tallied unassisted, and Maddy Samoskevich also had a powerplay marker in the third period to finish the QU scoring.
Bachetti ended up with 35 saves in the Maine loss. The Black Bears went 0-4 on the powerplay. Kahlen Lamarche had three assists for Quinnipiac to lead all point scorers, while Doyle stopped 24 shots in the cage for her second shutout of the weekend. Maine will have a week off before welcoming Providence College to Alfond Arena in the Hockey East openers on Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12. Game times are 6 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday.
