FROM THE BLUE LINE for February 26, 1999
with Maine head coach Rick Filighera and Deron Treadwell
 
The University of Maine was 0-2 on the week as the Lady Black Bears were
easily handled by powerhouse Brown University 10-0 and 7-0.
 
"We played well on Friday but did not receive the special goaltending we
were getting all year," said coach Rick Filighera on the weekend.  "We
would make a mistake in the defensive zone and the puck would be in the
back of our net.
 
"Saturday night we just quit," he continued.  "I feel that we played with
no confidence and had no spark.  Again, this happens from time to time with
a new team searching for leadership."
 
No spark is right.  The closer of the two games, Brown's 7-0 win Saturday,
could have been much worse.  The Black Bears were outshot 73-9 according to
the ECAC, which was clearly the most dominant an opponent has been all
season long on the shot chart.  Filighera said the most glaring improvement
Maine must make is "that we need to get physically stronger if we want to
compete with them."  That will take time.
 
Despite the disparity in goals and shots, Filighera said the team is still
confident.
 
"The players still seem upbeat and have a belief and confidence that we can
play with Cornell," he said.
 
Cornell, who braved an east coast snowstorm to get to Maine, will be the
Black Bears' last home opponent of the season and a good season-ending
measuring stick as they currently sit in the 8th and final playoff spot in
the ECAC.  Maine rests in 11th-place in the ECAC at 12-5-1 overall and
6-15-1 in the league.
 
"Cornell has good goaltending and I feel they will be small and crafty,"
Filighera predicted.  "We will have our hands full with their experience,
but they will not out skill us like Brown, UNH, or Harvard does."
 
The Big Red enter the game at 12-14-1, but are 11-11 in conference play.
While Maine has the one-two punch up front of Raffi Wolf (30 goals, 12
assists) and Kira Misikowetz (12 goals, 27 assists), Cornell doesn't have
the same prolific scorers of other programs.  Allison Stewart, whose 8
goals and 13 assists for 21 points ranks her as Cornell's top overall point
scorer.
 
In net the Big Red will turn to Alanna Hayes.  Hayes currently has a 3.11
goals against average and a sparkling .908 save percentage, but only
posting a 6-12 record on the year to-date.  Filighera said Hayes is a
quality goaltender, and he of all people should know.
 
"Alanna Hayes was a player on my under 17 year old boys team in 1994," he
recalled.  "She has good size and mobility and was an unbelievable team
player."
 
Maine will once again turn to Amanda Cronin in net.  The freshman
goaltender from York, Maine had a rough weekend as she played all 120
minutes versus Brown.  Cronin has compiled a 3.87 goals against average and
a .891 save percentage in her first season.
 
Filighera singled out Cronin's play late in the game on Saturday as a
positive sign, and also gave Andrea Keller credit for her play, but the
unsung hero for this week is freshman defenseman Abbie Howell.  Filighera
said that Howell doesn't always grab a lot of ice time, but "this past
weekend played more and played with heart and determination."
 
Howell, a native of La Selva, California, played for Team California that
was second at nationals in part due to Howell's two goals and 20 assists.
Howell was named best defensive player and won the Most Sportsmanlike Award
five years in a row.  Her twin sister, Jennie, is a forward at Maine.
Howell has one assist in 28 games played on the Maine blue line.
 
In stark contrast, Filighera was blunt in his assessment of the rest of the
team.
 
"I feel that nobody else played up to their potential," the coach said.
 
It will take a team effort from the Black Bears to beat Cornell.  Both
teams score exactly 3 goals per game, but the Big Red have the edge in
defense allowing just 2.85 goals per game, while Maine allows 3.57.
Cornell is frequently in the penalty box as they have the second-most
penalty minutes per game, but their penalty kill is sixth-best in the
league at 82.9 percent effective.  Maine's power play is operating at a
16.2 percent efficiency, ninth-best in the league.
 
Maine didn't light the lamp once last weekend, and against a solid
defensive team this game will come down to whether or not Maine's scorers
can outplay Hayes in net for Cornell.
 
"Every game is important for our program, but this is the last chance we
have to surprise a team we are not suppose to beat," Filighera said.
 
Maine and Cornell meet at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Alfond Arena in
Orono. Admission is free.
 
 
 
---
Deron Treadwell - [log in to unmask]
 
"Any idiot can face a crisis -- it's this day-to-day living
that wears you out."    - Anton Chekhov
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.