Final Score: Vermont 4, Maine 1
ORONO, Maine – Senior forward
Dayna Colang scored two goals and added an assist as Vermont's special teams led to three goals in a 4-1 win over Maine Sunday afternoon from Alfond Arena in Hockey East action.
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Box Score
The Catamounts opened the scoring 8:49 into the first period on their second power play opportunity of the afternoon. From the top of the slot
Alyssa Gorecki fired a wrist shot towards the net and Colang Colang redirected the puck past Meghann Treacy for her team-leading ninth goal of the season. Freshman defenseman
Daria O'Neill picked up her sixth helper of the season with the secondary assist on Colang's third goal in the last four games.
Vermont pushed for a two-goal advantage in the middle frame outshooting the Black Bears 13-2. Treacy stopped all 13 shots including several during another Vermont power play opportunity. Through two periods the Catamounts held a 21-7 advantage in shots but it remained 1-0 headed to the third period.
70 seconds into the third period Vermont finally broke through for its second goal with a shorthanded rush. On a two-on-two rush
Bridget Baker fired a hard low shot that Treacy padded aside, but Baker gathered the rebound and skated behind the net. Baker wrapped around the net and centered a feed to
Saana Valkama who one-timed a shot past Treacy for her second goal of the season.
Before this weekend Vermont hadn't scored more than one shorthanded goal in a season since the 2011-12 campaign. Just this weekend the Catamounts had two shorthanded goals in as many games.
Minutes later the Catamounts stretched their advantage to three with a power play goal. Colang skated into the Maine zone and dropped a pass to
Daria O'Neill on the point. O'Neill passed along the blue line to
Taylor Willard and Willard fired a wrist shot through traffic and past Treacy for her fourth goal of the season 3:04 into the final frame.
Vermont made it a four-goal cushion with 5:56 left in regulation with another goal originating from the point. Willard passed across to Kolowrat and she fired a wrist shot on net that was again redirected by Colang and past Treacy. In all six of Vermont's wins Colang has registered a point.
Maine did solve Vermont's
Madison Litchfield late in the third period. Emilie Brigham scored her third goal of the season with 2:55 left in regulation but that was Litchfield's only blemish on a 14-save effort in which she earned her third win of the year.
"This was a big win for us today," said head coach
Jim Plumer. "We played 60 full minutes of the style of hockey that is fun and effective. Our special teams were excellent today and keyed the win. Credit to
Dayna Colang for scoring two big goals today,
Saana Valkama for a key shorthanded goal and
Madison Litchfield for another solid performance in net."
Vermont returns home next weekend as they host Boston University in a two-game series at Gutterson Fieldhouse. The Catamounts will faceoff with the Terriers at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
On Sunday January 17 as the Catamounts host Boston University Vermont will participate in the annual Hockey East Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer initiative as part of the department's "Rally Against Cancer" presented by Otter Creek Awnings and Vermont Custom Closets. The team will wear special edition "pink" jerseys that will be auctioned off following the game.
NOTES: The Catamounts are now 4-0-1 in their last five contests at Alfond Arena ... Under Coach Plumer Vermont is 8-4-2 against Maine.
