This season marks Richard Reichenbach’s 12th overall season with Maine women’s ice hockey and eighth season as head coach.
Beginning in the 2010-11 season, Reichenbach served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Black Bears before taking over as co-head coach during the 2013-14 season.
During the strange 2020-21 season, the program saw success in Richard's seventh season as head coach. Under his vision, he helped navigate the Black bears through the COVID pandemic and to the Hockey East semi-finals by defeating the University of Vermont in the quarterfinals. The '20-21 Black Bears set a program mark for competing in back-to-back Hockey East semi-finals. This marks the third time in four years that Maine has been to the semi-finals (2018, 2020, 2021). Under Reichenbach’s guidance, the program has finished consecutive seasons as the single best special teams unit in Division 1 hockey. The Black Bears had girls selected for their respective national teams (Switzerland and Denmark) and notable alumni competed for Czech Republic. Maine has had several players represent their countries over the past season: Russia, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Czech Republic, Norway, Latvia, Russia, and Canada. The program saw Ida Kuoppala and Loryn Porter earn second team All-Hockey East awards. Porter was also runner up for national goalie of the year award.
Reichenbach again led Maine back to the WHEA Semifinals in 2019-20 after earning a two-game sweep at No. 8 Boston University in the quarterfinal round. The program saw Carly Jackson and Tereza Vanisova drafted third and 12th overall in the 2020 NWHL draft. Tereza set the program record for career points, while Jackson set records for wins, goals against average, save percentage, and shutouts. Ebba Stranberg and Vendula Pribylova signed professionally in Sweden. Alumni Brooke Stacey, Alyson Matteau, Audra Richards, Brittany Colton, and Cailey Hutchinson played in the NWHL. On the national stage, Maine had players compete for team Russia, Czech Republic, Latvia, and Denmark. The Black Bears boasted the top special teams percentage in college hockey. They had a NCAA leading 16 games sent to overtime while finishing the season15-14-8. Ida Kuoppala was a third team Hockey East all star selection. Kuoppala was also selected to the Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team.
The 2018-19 season saw the Black Bears season fall short of the playoffs. The team was ranked within the countries top 10 during the first half of the season. On the national stage, Celine Tedenby was the youngest player on Team Sweden. Countries also represented by the University of Maine were: Czech Republic, Latvia, and Denmark.
In 2017-18, Reichenbach guided the Black Bears to their best season in program history. Maine finished the year with a school record 19 wins, earning the No. 3 seed in the Women's Hockey East (WHEA) Playoffs. The Black Bears earned their first-ever WHEA playoff win, defeating No. 6 Boston University, 3-2, before going on to win the quarterfinal series, 2-1. Maine advanced to the WHEA semifinal round for the first-time in program history where they were unfortunately outlasted, 2-1, in Northeastern.
The 2016-17 was the last of the rebuilding years. Maine's 10-21-1 mark was the last time the program finished 10+ games below a .500 winning percentage. Although the team was rebuilding, they still found success. Boston College, Boston University, and Northeastern (twice) were four of the 10 wins for the Black Bears. The '16-17 season was also the freshman year for Carly Jackson and Tereza Vanisova.
In the 2015-16 season, Reichenbach helped Meghan Treacy finish her career with the second most games played as a Maine goalie (99) and the second most career saves (2,848), along with playing 33 games in the single season, a new Maine record. Reichenbach also coached Audra Richards to finish fifth overall in Maine history for career goals (45) and a new record for games played as a Black Bear (132). Also in the 2015-16 season, Reichenbach's Black Bears ranked fourth in the conference in goals allowed, fourth in the conference in penalty-kill percentage, and fourth in conference in defensive goals per game.
2013-14 and 2014-15 were the first two years under Ricky. The newly minted head coach won a total of 17 games during his rookie and sophomore years. While trying to win games with the current roster, Reichenbach and his staff were building for the future off the ice.
Reichenbach came to UMaine in 2010 via Cortland State, where he was responsible for recruiting and organizing team travel, practices and video breakdown. He also worked primarily with the defensemen.
Reichenbach, a native of Baldwinsville, New York, is a 2006 graduate of Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. He played hockey and lacrosse for the Continentals for four years and was coached by legendary coach Phil Grady while playing hockey at Hamilton. He captained the team his senior season.
Following graduation, he played a year of professional hockey with the Richmond Renegades of the SPHL.
Reichenbach worked as a hockey specialist and Bluestreak Sports Training in Stamford Connecticut where he trained numerous elite athletes who played in the NHL, Olympics, Division I and III hockey.
Reichenbach earned his master's degree in sports management from Cortland State. He and his wife, Sara, are the proud parents of three children, Mia, Ty, and Noah.
