The University of Maine women’s hockey team is regaining players after being ravaged by injuries during the first half of the season.
The 7-13-1 Black Bears, who haven’t played since Dec. 12, host Hockey East rival Vermont for games at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
UMaine coach Richard Reichenbach said he has never coached a team that has had to endure this many injuries.
“We had 15 forwards, and we were down to nine at one time,” said Reichenbach. “We had to change the way we play.”
He said that when they had a full complement of players, they would rotate four lines and six defensemen “to keep our energy high and enables us to forecheck effectively.”
Junior Kristin Gilmour, the team’s second-leading scorer among defensemen a year ago with two goals and three assists, hasn’t played a game this season. She underwent hip surgery last spring and will have two years of eligibility left beginning next season.
Senior forward and captain Abbey Cook played in 16 games with two goals and an assist before breaking her leg and having surgery. Reichenbach hopes to have her back for the playoffs.
Freshman defenseman Lydia Murray had season-ending shoulder surgery after eight games; senior forward Jillian Langtry (1 & 4) missed six games because of knee surgery and returned to the lineup on Dec. 11; All-Hockey East honorable mention senior defenseman Kelsey MacSorley also returned for the Union series after missing 14 games with a back ailment; and forwards Anna Wright and Victoria Hummel were sidelined with concussions although both are now back.
Forward Catherine Tufts (4 & 1) has suffered a recent shoulder injury that could sideline her.
Reichenbach’s Black Bears will have a much more favorable schedule for the second half.
Nine of their 13 losses have come at the hands of four teams with a combined 64-12-5 record: No. 1 Boston College (20-0), No. 4 Quinnipiac (16-1-3), No. 8 Northeastern (15-4-1) and unranked Boston University (13-7-1).
“It’s important to get off to a good start,” said Reichenbach. “We played a lot of good games in the first half, but we weren’t consistent.”
Maine is 3-9 in Hockey East, and Vermont is 5-16 overall (3-8 in HE), including a 4-2 win over Maine on Nov. 1.
Audra Richards (9 goals, 5 assists), Brooke Stacey (7 & 6), defenseman Allyson Matteau (4 & 3) and goalie Meghann Treacy (6-11-1, 2.40 goals-against average, .926 save percentage) have paced the Black Bears.
Sunday’s game is the annual Hockey East Skating Strides game, presented by FairPoint Communications, and will raise money for breast cancer awareness. Maine will wear pink jerseys which will be auctioned off with all the proceeds going to the Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing in Lewiston.
The Hockey East Skating Strides program is in its 10th season and has raised over $300,000 for breast cancer charities.