ORONO, Maine—The University of Maine women's ice hockey team opens Hockey East play on the road this weekend, facing off against last year's playoff foes. The Black Bears will face the Northeastern Huskies Friday before taking on Boston University Saturday.

 GAME INFORMATION

Game No. 5: No. 10/10 Maine Black Bears at No. 9/8 Northeastern Huskies
Date: Friday, Oct. 19, 2018
Time: 2 p.m.
Site: Matthews Arena | Boston, Mass
Television: NESN
2017-18 Record: Maine 19-14-5, 11-9-4 WHEA, Northeastern 19-17-3, 11-11-2 WHEA

LIVE VIDEO        LIVE STATS        LIVE TWEETS

Game No. 6: No. 10/10 Maine Black Bears at Boston University Terriers
Date: Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018
Time: 4 p.m.
Site: Walter Brown Arena | Boston, Mass
2017-18 Record: Maine 19-14-5, 11-9-4 WHEA, BU 14-17-6, 8-11-5 WHEA

 LIVE VIDEO        LIVE STATS        LIVE TWEETS     

 
About the Black Bears
• Maine won its first two home games against Sacred Heart Oct. 12 and 13, starting the season 4-0.
• The Black Bears winning both games by 8-0 finals, with back-to-back shutouts of Sacred Heart for the fifth and sixth shutout victories against the Pioneers, as well as the first back-to-back against them since Sept. 24 and 25, 2010.
• Vendula Pribylova earned Hockey East Player of the Week after a five point game Saturday. Pribylova scored two goals and three assists in her personal best game.
• Pribylova was also named the NCAA's No. 2 Star of the Week.
• The last time Maine opened the season 4-0-0 was in 2011-12, taking two wins against Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac in those games as well.
• Maine is now No. 10 in the USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey Poll this week.

About the Huskies
•  Northeastern split last weekend's series with No. 8 Colgate, losing Friday 3-2 and winning 5-2 Saturday. The Huskies opened the weekend 1-0-1 against Boston University, with a 5-0 win and 3-3 tie.
• Brittany Bugalski earned this week's Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week, stopping 39 of 41 shots she faced against Colgate on Saturday.
• Veronika Pettey extended her goal scoring streak with two goals and one assist. She also leads WHEA with three power play tallies so far this year.
• Last week, forward Gillian Foote won the Hockey East Rookie of the Week with three power play assists against BU, while goaltender Aerin Frankel was named Defensive Player of the Week, stopping 28 shots against BU in a 5-0 win.
• Northeastern was ranked No. 9 in this week's USCHO Poll, following the same ranking last week, and moved to No. 8 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Poll.
• The Huskies were named No. 2 in the Hockey East Preseason poll, earning one first place vote.

The Series with Northeastern
• Friday's meeting between Maine and Northeastern is the 61st all-time meeting between the two Hockey East competitors, with Northeastern holding the series lead at 34-20-6.
• These two teams last played on March 3 in the Hockey East Semifinals, where Northeastern took a 2-1 victory.
• The last time at Matthews Arena, the teams split the weekend with Maine losing 3-0 on Nov. 18, 2017 and winning 2-0 on Nov. 19, 2017.
• Maine took the season series last year with a 2-1-0 record.
• The squads first met on Jan. 23, 1999 in Boston, with the Huskies taking a 6-1 win.

About the Terriers
•  BU split last weekend's second pair of WHEA games, tying at Merrimack on Friday 2-2, and winning at home against UNH Saturday by a 3-2 final. The Terriers opened the season 0-1-1 against Northeastern, with a 5-0 loss and 3-3 tie.
• The Terriers graduated a great deal of offensive firepower, losing both Victoria Bach with 39 goals and 28 assists for 67 points, and Rebecca Leslie, who tallied 24 goals and 33 assists for 57 points. Bach was fifth in the nation for points, while Leslie was eighth.
• No other Terrier registered more than nine goals on the year. The team's current leading goal scorer is junior Sammy Davis, with three goals, and current point scorer is Jesse Compher with two goals and three assists through four games.
• Boston University returns Corinne Schroeder in net. As a freshman last season, she had a 12-8-4 record, 2.51 Goals Against Average, and a .913 save percentage.
• The Terriers were named No. 5 in the Hockey East Preseason poll.

The Series with Boston University
• Saturday's matchup between Maine and Boston University is the 39th all-time meeting between the two Hockey East teams, with BU holding the series lead at 12-25-2.
• These two teams last competed in a thrilling Hockey East Semifinals in March. Maine took the first game and ultimately the series on a hat trick by senior assistant captain Brooke Stacey to propel the Black Bears to the next round.
• The last time at Walter Brown Arena, Maine earned a 3-2 victory on Jan. 8, 2018, thanks to two goals by Tereza Vanisova.
• Maine took the season series last year with a 3-0-0 regular season record and 2-1 playoff record.
• The squads first met on Jan. 28, 2006 in Orono, with Maine taking a 7-0 win.

Weekend Warriors
• Maine set a new program record Friday against Sacred Heart, firing 52 shots on goal.
• Saturday's split shutout victory for Carly Jackson and Jillian Flynn is the first time the Black Bears have had three consecutive shutouts in a season. Loryn Porter had the first two shutouts, blanking Quinnipiac on Oct. 6 and Sacred Heart 10/12.
• Saturday's game saw a new program high for players with a point in a game as 16 players got on the score sheet in Saturday's 8-0 win. The Black Bears also set the second-highest number of contributors in a game with 14 players earning points in Friday's 8-0 victory.
• Vendula Pribylova and Tereza Vanisova's back-to-back Hockey East Player of the Week honors are the first for two different players to win in consecutive weeks since Myriam Crousette and Jennie Gallo earned the honors on Feb. 14, 2012 and Feb. 21, 2012 respectively.

Goals Galore
• In the four wins the Black Bears have had this year, the team has averaged 5.25 goals per game, scoring 19 goals so far this year. 
• Maine had two eight goal games against Sacred Heart, putting up eight in a game for the first time since Sept. 24, 2010—another 8-0 win against Sacred Heart.
• In a shift from the first period offense last year, the middle frame has proved most potent for Maine's offense. Through four games, the Black Bears have scored five goals in the first period, 11 in the second period and four in the third period.

-UMaine-