ORONO, Maine— Women's Ice Hockey returns home for the last regular season game to fight the University of Vermont for the final playoff spot on Saturday.

 GAME INFORMATION

Game No. 32: Vermont Catamounts vs. Maine Black Bears
Date: Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019
Time: 2 p.m.
Site: Alfond Arena | Orono, Maine
2018-19 Record: Vermont 10-18-5, 8-15-3 WHEA, Maine 14-15-4, 7-15-4 WHEA

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About the Black Bears
• The two teams are playing in a win-and-get-in playoff scenario, with the winner of the game making the Hockey East playoffs as the No. 8 seed. 
• Maine has struggled in their last ten, going 1-7-2 to close out the year. The Black Bears dropped both games at Boston College on Feb. 14 and 15. 
• Tereza Vanisova scored her 16th goal of the year in the first game at Boston College. Vanisova scored again in the second game, followed by Ida Press.
• Carly Jackson earned third star honors for her 29 saves against BC on Thursday. 
• Maine's defense blocked 18 shots over the weekend.
• Maine is 14-15-4 overall this season, with a 7-15-4 record in conference. 
• The Black Bears are fighting to make their tenth Hockey East playoff appearance in program history.
 
About the Catamounts
• Vermont is 3-1-1 in their last five, including a season sweep against Holy Cross. 
• Scoring is spread out across the Catamounts offense, with nine players holding at least ten points. Alyssa Gorecki is the team's leading goal scorer with 10 goals, and Eve-Audrey Picard leads with 20 points, 13 of which are assists. 
• In goal, Melissa Black has appeared in 25 contests, holding a 6-16-3record. Her goals against average sits at 2.85 while her save percentage is .898 percent. Leading in goaltending categories is freshman netminder Blanka Skodova, with a 1.85 goals against average and .929 save percentage in ten appearances this year. The two have split minutes in the last five games, with Black making three appearances and Skodova two.
• The Catamounts average 2.00 goals a game, and currently sit with a 3-7-2 conference road record.
• Vermont is eighth in Hockey East at 8-15-3 and 19 points, and are 10-18-5 overall record. 
 
The Series with Vermont
• Saturday's meeting between Maine and Vermont is the 53rd all-time meeting between the two competitors, with Maine holding the series lead at 27-17-8.
• Vermont will earn the eighth seed in the WHEA Tournament with a win or tie against Maine, while Maine must win the game to clinch the final playoff position.
• The two teams split the pair of games at Vermont. Maine took the first contest 2-1 on Nov. 30, with goals from Vanisova and Strandberg. The Black Bears fell in the second game 3-2 after the Catamounts took a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Maine peppered 10 shots on goal in the third period of the Dec. 1 game, but couldn't break through.
• The two teams first met on Nov. 23, 1997 at Vermont in Maine's third-ever game in Division I, which ended in a 3-3 tie.
 
Comparing the Conference
• First place Northeastern locked in home ice as the No. 1 overall seed with 42 points, holding a 20-3-2 record.
• Boston University sits in third place, with a 14-6-5 record and 34 points.
• Providence and Merrimack are fighting for fourth place and the last remaining home playoff spot. The Friars are currently in fourth, with 30 points and the Warriors are in fifth with 28 points. 
• Merrimack will have a home-and-home with Northeastern, while Providence will play at Holy Cross before hosting BU.
• Three WHEA teams are in the top ten in the weekly polls. Northeastern is at No. 3/3, Boston College at No. 7/7 and Boston University at No. 8/8.
• UConn and UNH are fighting to separate for sixth and seventh. Both teams are currently tied at 22 points. UConn will play at BU while UNH takes on BC.

-UMaine-