Maine Black Bears women's ice hockey

The Maine Black Bears women’s ice hockey team represents the University of Maine. The team plays their home games in Alfond Arena. The team's first year of play was in 1997–98. The Black Bears finished 6th in the 2019–2020 season, advancing to the semi-finals of the Hockey East tournament, before losing to the eventual champions Northeastern Huskies by a score of 1–3. The 2020 Hockey East women's ice hockey tournament was cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak, but Maine would not have qualified even if the tournament had been played. Hockey East announced plans in July 2020 to play the 2020–2021 hockey season, with an emphasis on league play.

Maine Black Bears women's ice hockey
Current season
University	University of Maine
Conference	Hockey East
Head coach	Molly Engstrom 1st season
Arena	Harold Alfond Sports Arena Orono, Maine
Student section	The Maine~iaks
Colors	Maine blue, white, and navy[1]

Coaches

The current head coach is Molly Engstrom. A native of Siren, Wisconsin, she spent the 2018–2022 seasons as the assistant coach at St. Cloud University. She is a two-time member of the United States women's hockey team at the Winter Olympics, won a bronze medal with Team USA in 2006 at the Turin Winter Games and a silver medal in 2010 at the Vancouver Winter Games. Engstrom earned the 'Best Defenseman' award at the 2010 Winter Games.

She was a member of Team USA at six IIHF World Women's Championships from 2004 to 2011, helping the team secure gold medals in 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2011, as well as silver medals in 2004 and 2007.

She has played and coached in the Swedish Women's Professional Hockey League (SDHL) from 2016 to 2018, and helped her team Djurgarden IF win the SDHL championship in 2017. She served as the girls' varsity hockey head coach and assistant athletic director at Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, N.H. from 2014–2016.

In addition to her professional playing and coaching experience in Sweden, Engstrom played professional hockey with teams in Minneapolis, Toronto and Boston in the CWHL and NWHL from 2007 to 2013. She helped her Brampton-Canadette Thunder team win the CWHL title in 2008 and the Minnesota Whitecaps win the Western Women's Hockey League crown in 2009.

A 2007 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Engstrom played collegiate hockey in the WCHA with the Badgers. She received First Team All-American honors while at Wisconsin and was also named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005. She was selected as a Patty Kazmaier Award top 10 finalist in 2005.

She went on to receive a Masters of Sports Administration from the Russian International Olympic University in 2014.^[2]

Richard Reichenbach served as head coach from 2015 to 2022. In the 2019–20 season, his fifth year in the role, he led Maine to a 15–14–8 record. Before coaching at the University of Maine, Reichenbach was an assistant coach at Cortland State. Reichenbach is a 2006 graduate of Hamilton College, where he was a hockey and lacrosse standout. He was team captain in his senior year. He played one year of professional hockey, on the Richmond Renegades of the SPHL. ^[3]

Maria Lewis served as the head coach for the Bears for four seasons and was named Hockey East Coach of the Year in 2012. That season, the Bears finished fourth in the Hockey East conference with an overall record of 17–11–6. Prior to taking on the head coach responsibilities at Maine, Lewis was an assistant coach for Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey team, where she twice won the College Hockey Assistant Coach of the year award. She was also an assistant coach with the Ohio State Buckeyes and the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks.^[4]

Dan Lichterman became the third head coach for the Black Bears for the 2007–2008 season and coached for three seasons. He left at the end of his first contract, citing the need to support his wife's career.^[5]

Lauren Steblen, associate coach under Guy Perron, stepped in as interim coach in the 2006–2007 season. Steblen played defense for the Bears as a college player, and in her senior season, 2000–2001, the team made the Hockey East tournament for the first time. After graduating from Maine, she coached the Bemidji State Beavers, in Minnesota.^[6] At the end of her year as interim head coach, she decided not to pursue the permanent post.^[5]

Guy Perron was hired as the second head coach of the Black Bears. A graduate of UM, Perron was a two-time captain for the team and recorded a career total of 62 goals and 84 assists, amassing 146 points in 136 games. Perron coached the Black Bears to a 17–9–6 season in his second year. He left the following season to be the associate head coach and recruiting director for Maine's men's ice hockey program. He later became a scout for the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL.^[7]

Rick Filighera was the inaugural head coach for the Maine Black Bears' program, and oversaw the program for its first seven seasons. He came to Maine from a head coaching position with the Rochester Institute of Technology's women's hockey team. In 2003–2004, he was the runner up for the Hockey East Coach of the Year award. After leaving Maine in 1997, he became the head coach for Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, Ohio.^[8] As of 2020–2021, he was the head coach for the Cortland Red Dragons, in the Northeast Women's Hockey League.

Season-by-season results

Won Championship

Lost Championship

Conference Champions

League Leader

Year	Coach	W	L	T	Conference	Conf. W	Conf. L	Conf. T	Finish	Conference Tournament	NCAA Tournament
2024-25	Molly Engstrom	11	21	3	Hockey East	10	14	3	6th HE	Lost Quarterfinals vs. Boston College (3–4)	Did not qualify
2023-24	Molly Engstrom	15	18	2	Hockey East	11	14	2	8th HE	Won Quarterfinals vs. Merrimack (1–2 OT)	Did not qualify
2022–23	Molly Engstrom	15	18	2	Hockey East	12	13	2	6th HE	Lost Quarterfinals vs. Providence (2–5)	Did not qualify
2021–22	Richard Reichenbach	15	19	1	Hockey East	12	13	1	5th HE	Won Quarterfinals vs. Boston College (2–1) Lost Semifinals vs. Northeastern (1–3)	Did not qualify
2020–21	Richard Reichenbach	8	9	1	Hockey East	7	8	1	7th HE	Won Quarterfinals vs. Vermont (3–1) Lost Semifinals vs. Providence (0–1 OT)	Did not qualify
2019–20	Richard Reichenbach	15	14	8	Hockey East	9	11	7	7th HE	Won Quarterfinals vs. Boston University (3–2, 2–1) Lost Semifinals vs. Northeastern (1–3)	Did not qualify
2018–19	Richard Reichenbach	14	15	5	Hockey East	7	15	5	9th HE	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
2017–18	Richard Reichenbach	19	14	5	Hockey East	11	9	4	3rd HE	Won First Round vs. Boston University (3–2, 1–4, 4–3 OT) Lost Semifinals vs. Northeastern (1–2)	Did not qualify
2016–17	Richard Reichenbach	10	21	1	Hockey East	6	17	1	9th HE	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
2015–16	Richard Reichenbach	10	23	2	Hockey East	6	17	1	8th HE	Lost Quarterfinals vs. Boston College (2–5, 1–5)	Did not qualify
2014–15	Richard Reichenbach	10	20	3	Hockey East	9	11	1	4th HE	Lost Quarterfinals vs. Northeastern (2–3, 0–1 OT)	Did not qualify
2013–14	Maria Lewis	7	20	5	Hockey East	5	13	3	5th HE	Lost Quarterfinals vs. Vermont (2–3 3OT)	Did not qualify
2012–13	Maria Lewis	5	24	4	Hockey East	3	16	3	7th HE	Lost Quarterfinals vs. Boston College (1–2 OT)	Did not qualify
2011–12	Maria Lewis	17	11	6	Hockey East	11	8	2	4th He	Lost Quarterfinals vs. Providence (0–6)	Did not qualify
2010–11	Maria Lewis	12	17	5	Hockey East	6	12	3	6th HE	Lost Quarterfinals vs. Providence (2–5)	Did not qualify
2009–10	Dan Lichterman	6	20	5	Hockey East	3	15	3	8th HE	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
2008–09	Dan Lichterman	5	23	5	Hockey East	2	15	4	8th He	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
2007–08	Dan Lichterman	4	27	3	Hockey East	3	15	3	7th HE	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
2006–07	Lauren Steblen	10	19	2	Hockey East	5	14	2	6th HE	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
2005–06	Guy Perron	17	9	6	Hockey East	9	8	4	4th HE	Lost Semifinals vs. New Hampshire (0–6)	Did not qualify
2004–05	Guy Perron	14	15	3	Hockey East	5	13	2	5th HE	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
2003–04	Rick Filighera	12	16	4	Hockey East	9	9	2	3rd HE	Lost Semifinals vs. Providence (2–4)	Did not qualify
2002–03	Rick Filighera	12	15	4	Hockey East	5	8	2	3rd HE	Lost Semifinals vs. New Hampshire (0–2)	Did not qualify
2001–02	Rick Filighera	16	15	4	ECAC Eastern	8	10	3	5th ECAC E.	Lost Quarterfinals vs. Providence (3–5)	Did not qualify
2000–01	Rick Filighera	15	14	1	ECAC	10	13	1	9th ECAC	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1999–2000	Rick Filighera	6	19	2	ECAC	3	19	2	11th ECAC	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1998–99	Rick Filighera	9	18	1	ECAC	7	18	1	11th ECAC	Did not qualify	Did not qualify
1997–98	Rick Filighera	12	6	2

Sources ^[9][10]

Team Scoring Champions

Season	Player	GP	G	A	Pts
2001–02	Meagan Aarts				47
2002–03
2003–04
2004–05
2005–06
2006–07
2007–08
2008–09
2009–10
2010–11	Myriam Croussette	34	14	12	26
2011–12
2012–13	Brittany Dougherty	32	19	13	32
2013–14	Audra Richards	30	15	3	18
2014–15	Emilie Brigham	33	8	10	18
2015–16	Audra Richards	35	14	9	23
2016–17	Tereza Vanišová	28	16	12	28
2017–18	Tereza Vanisova	37	16	30	46
2018–19	Celine Tedenby	31	12	14	26
2019–20	Ida Kuoppala	35	19	14	33 [11]
2020–21	Ida Kuoppala	16	10	5	15
2021–22	Ida Kuoppala	35	10	14	24
2022–23	Mira Seregely	35	11	13	24

Team captains

In progress

• 1997–98: Alana Ahearn
• 1998–99: Alison Lorenz, Christina Hedges
• 1999-00: Kelly Nelson
• 2000–01: Kelly Nelson
• 2001–02: Mandy Cronin, Jarin Sjorgen
• 2002–03: Jarin Sjorgen
• 2003–04: Lara Smart
• 2004–05: Tristian Desmet, Emily Stevens
• 2005–06: Cheryl White, Morgan Janusc
• 2006–07: Kelly Law, Sonia Corriveau
• 2007–08: Jenna Cowan
• 2008–09: Vanessa Vani
• 2009–10: Amy Stech
• 2010–11: Dawn Sullivan
• 2011–12: Dawn Sullivan
• 2012–13: Kylie Smith, Chloe Tinkler
• 2013–14: Jennifer More, Brittney Huneke
• 2014–15: Jennifer More (C), Brittney Huneke, Katy Massey (A)
• 2015–16: Abby Cooke, Emilie Brigham (C), Brooklyn Langlois, Eve Boissoneault (A)
• 2016–17: Emilie Brigham, Jess Vallotton
• 2017–18: Alyson Matteau (C), Brooke Stacey, Cailey Hutchinson (A)
• 2018–19: Jillian Flynn
• 2019–20: Jillian Flynn
• 2020–21: Taylor Leech^[12]
• 2021–22: Taylor Leech^[13]
• 2022–23: Morgan Trimper, Alexandra Johnson

Current roster

2022–23 Black Bears

As of September 26, 2022.^[14]

No.	Nat.	Player	Class	Pos	Height	DoB	Hometown	Previous team
2		Grace Heiting	Graduate	F	5' 3" (1.6 m)	2000-04-25	Woodbury, Minnesota	Union College
3		Morgan Trimper (C)	Senior	F	5' 4" (1.63 m)	2001-04-02	Bangor, Maine	Taft School
4		Cora Webber	Freshman	D	5' 7" (1.7 m)	2003-04-21	Johnston, Rhode Island	Williston Northampton School
5		Anna Caumo	Freshman	F	5' 5" (1.65 m)	2002-02-16	Bruneck, Italy	AHC Toblach-Dobbiaco Icebears
6		Olivia King	Junior	D	5' 6" (1.68 m)	2002-01-01	Old Town, Maine	Taft School
7		Ally Trimper	Senior	F	5' 2" (1.57 m)	2001-04-02	Bangor, Maine	Taft School
8		Kennedy Little	Junior	D	5' 3" (1.6 m)	2002-02-17	Andover, Minnesota	Andover High School
9		Luisa Welcke	Freshman	F	5' 5" (1.65 m)	2002-04-29	Heidelberg, Germany	Maddogs Mannheim
10		Courtney Colarullo	Sophomore	D	5' 3" (1.6 m)	2002-12-04	Ayer, Massachusetts	New Hampton School
11		Amalie Andersen	Senior	D	5' 8" (1.73 m)	1999-10-06	Herning, Denmark	Linköping HC
12		Nicole Pateman	Senior	D	6' 0" (1.83 m)	2000-03-29	London, Ontario	London Jr. Devilettes
13		Ashley Bialas	Freshman	F	5' 5" (1.65 m)	2003-12-21	Carpentersville, Illinois	Chicago Mission
15		Emma Gurnell	Freshman	F	5' 6" (1.68 m)	2003-06-16	Old Saybrook, Connecticut	Deerfield Academy
16		Emma Lange	Graduate	D	5' 9" (1.75 m)	2000-07-24	Goshen, Connecticut	College of the Holy Cross
18		Alexandra Johnson (A)	Graduate	F	5' 8" (1.73 m)	1999-11-21	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	Milwaukee Jr. Admirals
19		Ava Stevenson	Freshman	F	5' 9" (1.75 m)	2004-01-08	Grosse Pointe, Michigan	Little Caesars
20		Grace Parker	Senior	D	5' 8" (1.73 m)	2001-02-20	Nepean, Ontario	Boston University
21		Morgan Sadler	Junior	F	5' 8" (1.73 m)	2002-03-30	Erin, Ontario	Mississauga Jr. Hurricanes
22		Rahel Enzler	Senior	F	5' 5" (1.65 m)	2000-07-30	Zug, Switzerland	SC Reinach
23		Lilli Welcke	Freshman	F	5' 5" (1.65 m)	2002-04-29	Heidelberg, Germany	Maddogs Mannheim
24		Bailey Oakes	Sophomore	D	5' 10" (1.78 m)	2003-03-05	Richmond Hill, Ontario	Toronto Jr. Aeros
26		Ida Kuoppala (A)	Senior	F	5' 6" (1.68 m)	2000-02-17	Pedersöre, Finland	Espoo Blues
27		Mira Seregély	Sophomore	F	5' 9" (1.75 m)	2003-04-27	Budapest, Hungary	Ontario Hockey Academy
28		Alyssa Wruble	Sophomore	F	5' 5" (1.65 m)	2003-01-16	Bethlehem, Pennsylvania	Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
29		Elise Morphy	Junior	D	5' 6" (1.68 m)	2002-04-12	Regina, Saskatchewan	Shattuck-Saint Mary's
30		Jorden Mattison	Junior	G	5' 9" (1.75 m)	2002-04-17	Fenwick, Ontario	Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins
32		Anna LaRose	Junior	G	5' 5" (1.65 m)	2001-10-02	Albertville, Minnesota	North Wright County Riverhawks
37		Brooklyn Oakes	Freshman	G	5' 6" (1.68 m)	2004-09-29	Richmond Hill, Ontario	Durham West Jr. Lightning

Black Bears in Pro Hockey

= CWHL All-Star Team

= NWHL All-Star

= Clarkson Cup Champion

= Isobel Cup Champion

Player	Position	Team(s)	League(s)	Years	Clarkson Cup	Isobel Cup
Meagan Aarts	Forward	Vaughan Flames Toronto Furies	CWHL	6	1 (2014)
Amanda Cronin	Goaltender	Brampton Thunder Boston Blades Burlington Barracudas	CWHL	5
Lexie Hoffmeyer	Forward/Defense	Toronto Furies	CWHL	5	1 (2014)
Carly Jackson	Goaltender	Buffalo Beauts
Kayla Kaluzny	Forward	Melbourne Ice	AWIHL	1
Ida Kuoppala	Forward	Skellefteå AIK	SDHL	1
Brittany Ott	Goaltender	Boston Blades Boston Pride	CWHL NWHL		1 (2015)	1 (2016)
Tereza Vanišová	Forward	Boston Pride	NWHL			1 (2021)

Olympians

Player	Team	Position	Event
Amalie Andersen	Denmark	Defense	2022 Beijing Olympics
Rahel Enzler	Switzerland	Forward	2022 Beijing Olympics
Darcia Leimgruber	Switzerland	Forward	2010 Vancouver Olympics
Vendula Přibylová	Czech Republic	Forward	2022 Beijing Olympics
Tereza Vanišová	Czech Republic	Forward	2022 Beijing Olympics
Michelle Weis	Denmark	Forward	2022 Beijing Olympics
Raffi Wolf[15]	Germany	Forward	2002, 2006 Vancouver Olympics

Awards and honors

Hockey East

• Brittany Ott, 2010 WHEA All-Rookie Team^[16]
• Amy Stech, Runner up, 2010 Hockey East Sportsmanship Award^[17]
• Meghann Treacy, 2014–15 Hockey East First Team All-Star^[18]

Hockey East weekly honors

• Jenna Ouellette – Maine, WHEA Player of the Month, December 2009^[19]
• Meghann Treacy, Hockey East Defensive Player of the Month (October 2014) ^[20]
• Meghann Treacy, Hockey East Defensive Player of the Month (November 2014) ^[21]

Hockey East weekly honors

• Carly Jackson, Pro-Ambitions Rookie of the Week (awarded October 17, 2016)^[22]
• Michelle Weis, Pro-Ambitions Rookie of the Week (awarded October 2, 2017^[23]

HCA Awards

• Ida Kuoppala, Women's Hockey Commissioners Association Rookie of the Month February 2020^[24]