The Maine Black Bears women’s ice hockey team represents the University of Maine. The team plays their home games in Alfond Arena. The team's first year of play was in 1997–98. The Black Bears finished 6th in the 2019–2020 season, advancing to the semi-finals of the Hockey East tournament, before losing to the eventual champions Northeastern Huskies by a score of 1–3. The 2020 Hockey East women's ice hockey tournament was cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak, but Maine would not have qualified even if the tournament had been played. Hockey East announced plans in July 2020 to play the 2020–2021 hockey season, with an emphasis on league play. Maine is one of sixteen Division I programs to have never qualified for the NCAA women's ice hockey tournament.
Coaches The current head coach is Molly Engstrom. A native of Siren, Wisconsin, she spent the 2018–2022 seasons as the assistant coach at St. Cloud University. She is a two-time member of the United States women's hockey team at the Winter Olympics, won a bronze medal with Team USA in 2006 at the Turin Winter Games and a silver medal in 2010 at the Vancouver Winter Games. Engstrom earned the 'Best Defenseman' award at the 2010 Winter Games.
She was a member of Team USA at six IIHF World Women's Championships from 2004 to 2011, helping the team secure gold medals in 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2011, as well as silver medals in 2004 and 2007.
She has played and coached in the Swedish Women's Professional Hockey League (SDHL) from 2016 to 2018, and helped her team Djurgarden IF win the SDHL championship in 2017. She served as the girls' varsity hockey head coach and assistant athletic director at Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, N.H. from 2014–2016.
In addition to her professional playing and coaching experience in Sweden, Engstrom played professional hockey with teams in Minneapolis, Toronto and Boston in the CWHL and NWHL from 2007 to 2013. She helped her Brampton-Canadette Thunder team win the CWHL title in 2008 and the Minnesota Whitecaps win the Western Women's Hockey League crown in 2009.
A 2007 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Engstrom played collegiate hockey in the WCHA with the Badgers. She received First Team All-American honors while at Wisconsin and was also named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005. She was selected as a Patty Kazmaier Award top 10 finalist in 2005.
She went on to receive a Masters of Sports Administration from the Russian International Olympic University in 2014.
Richard Reichenbach served as head coach from 2015 to 2022. In the 2019–20 season, his fifth year in the role, he led Maine to a 15–14–8 record. Before coaching at the University of Maine, Reichenbach was an assistant coach at Cortland State. Reichenbach is a 2006 graduate of Hamilton College, where he was a hockey and lacrosse standout. He was team captain in his senior year. He played one year of professional hockey, on the Richmond Renegades of the SPHL.
Maria Lewis served as the head coach for the Bears for four seasons and was named Hockey East Coach of the Year in 2012. That season, the Bears finished fourth in the Hockey East conference with an overall record of 17–11–6. Prior to taking on the head coach responsibilities at Maine, Lewis was an assistant coach for Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey team, where she twice won the College Hockey Assistant Coach of the year award. She was also an assistant coach with the Ohio State Buckeyes and the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks.
Dan Lichterman became the third head coach for the Black Bears for the 2007–2008 season and coached for three seasons. He left at the end of his first contract, citing the need to support his wife's career.
Lauren Steblen, associate coach under Guy Perron, stepped in as interim coach in the 2006–2007 season. Steblen played defense for the Bears as a college player, and in her senior season, 2000–2001, the team made the Hockey East tournament for the first time. After graduating from Maine, she coached the Bemidji State Beavers, in Minnesota. At the end of her year as interim head coach, she decided not to pursue the permanent post.
Guy Perron was hired as the second head coach of the Black Bears. A graduate of UM, Perron was a two-time captain for the team and recorded a career total of 62 goals and 84 assists, amassing 146 points in 136 games. Perron coached the Black Bears to a 17–9–6 season in his second year. He left the following season to be the associate head coach and recruiting director for Maine's men's ice hockey program. He later became a scout for the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL.
Rick Filighera was the inaugural head coach for the Maine Black Bears' program, and oversaw the program for its first seven seasons. He came to Maine from a head coaching position with the Rochester Institute of Technology's women's hockey team. In 2003–2004, he was the runner up for the Hockey East Coach of the Year award. After leaving Maine in 1997, he became the head coach for Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, Ohio. As of 2020–2021, he was the head coach for the Cortland Red Dragons, in the Northeast Women's Hockey League.
Season-by-season results Won championshipLost championshipConference championsLeague leader
Year Coach W L T Conference Conf. W Conf. L Conf. T Finish Conference Tournament NCAA Tournament2024–25Molly Engstrom11213Hockey East101436th HELost Quarterfinals vs. Boston College Did not qualify2023–24Molly Engstrom15182Hockey East111428th HEWon Quarterfinals vs. Merrimack Did not qualify2022–23Molly Engstrom 15182Hockey East121326th HELost Quarterfinals vs. Providence Did not qualify2021–22 Richard Reichenbach 15 19 1 Hockey East 12 13 1 5th HE Won Quarterfinals vs. Boston College Lost Semifinals vs. Northeastern Did not qualify2020–21 Richard Reichenbach 8 9 1 Hockey East 7 8 1 7th HE Won Quarterfinals vs. Vermont Lost Semifinals vs. Providence Did not qualify2019–20 Richard Reichenbach 15 14 8 Hockey East 9 11 7 7th HE Won Quarterfinals vs. Boston University Lost Semifinals vs. Northeastern Did not qualify2018–19 Richard Reichenbach 14 15 5 Hockey East 7 15 5 9th HE Did not qualify Did not qualify2017–18 Richard Reichenbach 19 14 5 Hockey East 11 9 4 3rd HE Won First Round vs. Boston University Lost Semifinals vs. Northeastern Did not qualify2016–17 Richard Reichenbach 10 21 1 Hockey East 6 17 1 9th HE Did not qualify Did not qualify2015–16 Richard Reichenbach 10 23 2 Hockey East 6 17 1 8th HE Lost Quarterfinals vs. Boston College Did not qualify2014–15 Richard Reichenbach 10 20 3 Hockey East 9 11 1 4th HE Lost Quarterfinals vs. Northeastern Did not qualify2013–14 Maria Lewis 7 20 5 Hockey East 5 13 3 5th HE Lost Quarterfinals vs. Vermont Did not qualify2012–13 Maria Lewis 5 24 4 Hockey East 3 16 3 7th HE Lost Quarterfinals vs. Boston College Did not qualify2011–12 Maria Lewis 17 11 6 Hockey East 11 8 2 4th He Lost Quarterfinals vs. Providence Did not qualify2010–11 Maria Lewis 12 17 5 Hockey East 6 12 3 6th HE Lost Quarterfinals vs. Providence Did not qualify2009–10 Dan Lichterman 6 20 5 Hockey East 3 15 3 8th HE Did not qualify Did not qualify2008–09 Dan Lichterman 5 23 5 Hockey East 2 15 4 8th He Did not qualify Did not qualify2007–08 Dan Lichterman 4 27 3 Hockey East 3 15 3 7th HE Did not qualify Did not qualify2006–07Lauren Steblen 10 19 2 Hockey East 5 14 2 6th HE Did not qualify Did not qualify2005–06 Guy Perron 17 9 6 Hockey East 9 8 4 4th HE Lost Semifinals vs. New Hampshire Did not qualify2004–05 Guy Perron 14 15 3 Hockey East 5 13 2 5th HE Did not qualify Did not qualify2003–04 Rick Filighera 12 16 4 Hockey East 9 9 2 3rd HE Lost Semifinals vs. Providence Did not qualify2002–03 Rick Filighera 12 15 4 Hockey East 5 8 2 3rd HE Lost Semifinals vs. New Hampshire Did not qualify2001–02 Rick Filighera 16 15 4 ECAC Eastern 8 10 3 5th ECAC E. Lost Quarterfinals vs. Providence Did not qualify2000–01 Rick Filighera 15 14 1 ECAC 10 13 1 9th ECAC Did not qualify Did not qualify1999–2000Rick Filighera 6 19 2 ECAC 3 19 2 11th ECAC Did not qualify Did not qualify1998–99Rick Filighera 9 18 1 ECAC 7 18 1 11th ECAC Did not qualify Did not qualify1997–98Rick Filighera 12 6 2 Sources
Team Scoring Champions Season Player GP G A Pts2001–02 Meagan Aarts 47 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 Myriam Croussette 34 14 12 262011–12 2012–13 Brittany Dougherty 32 19 13 322013–14 Audra Richards 30 15 3 182014–15 Emilie Brigham 33 8 10 18 2015–16 Audra Richards 35 14 9 232016–17 Tereza Vanišová 28 16 12 282017–18 Tereza Vanisova 37 16 30 462018–19 Celine Tedenby 31 12 14 262019–20 Ida Kuoppala 35 19 14 33 2020–21 Ida Kuoppala 16 10 5 15 2021–22 Ida Kuoppala 35 10 14 24 2022–23 Mira Seregely 35 11 13 24
Team captains In progress 1997–98: Alana Ahearn 1998–99: Alison Lorenz, Christina Hedges 1999-00: Kelly Nelson 2000–01: Kelly Nelson 2001–02: Mandy Cronin, Jarin Sjorgen 2002–03: Jarin Sjorgen 2003–04: Lara Smart 2004–05: Tristian Desmet, Emily Stevens 2005–06: Cheryl White, Morgan Janusc 2006–07: Kelly Law, Sonia Corriveau 2007–08: Jenna Cowan 2008–09: Vanessa Vani 2009–10: Amy Stech 2010–11: Dawn Sullivan 2011–12: Dawn Sullivan 2012–13: Kylie Smith, Chloe Tinkler 2013–14: Jennifer More, Brittney Huneke 2014–15: Jennifer More (C), Brittney Huneke, Katy Massey (A) 2015–16: Abby Cooke, Emilie Brigham (C), Brooklyn Langlois, Eve Boissoneault (A) 2016–17: Emilie Brigham, Jess Vallotton 2017–18: Alyson Matteau (C), Brooke Stacey, Cailey Hutchinson (A) 2018–19: Jillian Flynn 2019–20: Jillian Flynn 2020–21: Taylor Leech 2021–22: Taylor Leech 2022–23: Morgan Trimper (C), Alexandra Johnson (A) 2023–24: Elise Morphy (C), Kennedy Little (A), Ida Kuoppala (A), Ana LaRose (A) 2024–25: Elise Morphy (C), Danielle Brunette (A) Adriana van de Leest (A), Alyssa Wruble (A) 2025–26: Danielle Brunette (C), Lily Fetch (A), Mikayla Boarder (A), Ava Stevenson (A)
Current roster 2025–26 Black Bears As of January 6, 2026.
Black Bears in Pro Hockey = CWHL All-Star Team= NWHL All-Star= Clarkson Cup Champion= Isobel Cup Champion Player Position Team(s) League(s) Years Meagan Aarts Forward Vaughan FlamesToronto Furies CWHL 61 (2014) Amalie AndersenDefenseRögle BKNDHL2Emilie BrighamForwardDEC Salzburg EaglesEWHL3 Amanda CroninGoaltender Toronto AerosBrampton ThunderBoston BladesBurlington Barracudas NWHLCWHL 7 Jamie GrinderDefense DEC Salzburg Eagles EWHL 1 Ann-Frédérique GuayForwardLinköping HCHC Fribourg-GottéronSDHLSWHL A2Mariah FujimagariGoaltenderSKP BratislavaWorcester BladesBuffalo BeautsConnecticut WhaleAIKNorfolk AdmiralsMalmö RedhawksEWHLCWHLNWHL NWHL/PHFSDHLECHLNDHL8 Lexie Hoffmeyer Forward/Defense Toronto Furies CWHL 51 (2014) Cailey HutchisonForwardMetropolitan RivetersConnecticut WhaleNWHLPHF3Carly JacksonGoaltenderBuffalo BeautsToronto SixPWHL Toronto/Toronto SceptresSeattle Torrent NWHLPHFPWHL6Ally JohnsonForwardSkellefteå AIKSDHL1Kayla KaluznyForwardMelbourne IceAWIHL1Ida KuoppalaForwardSkellefteå AIKSDHL2Taylor LeechDefenseLadies Team LuganoLeksands IFSWHL ASDHL2Alyson MatteauDefenseBuffalo BeautsNWHL1 Brittany OttGoaltender Boston BladesBoston Pride CWHLNWHL 5 1 (2015) 1 (2016)Jenna OuelletteForwardDHC LangenthalLKA1Audra MorrisonForwardMetropolitan Riveters Minnesota WhitecapsNWHL NWHL/PHF4 Mira SeregélyForward HK Budapest DFEL 1 Brooke StaceyForwardLinköping HCBuffalo BeautsMontreal ForcePWHL MontrealSDHLNWHLPHFPWHL5Celine TedenbyForwardBrynäs IF Skellefteå AIKSDHL2Darya TeryoshkinaDefenseHC TornadoZhHL1Adriana van de LeestDefenseHV71SDHL1Tereza VanišováForwardBoston PrideLeksands IFToronto SixPWHL MontrealPWHL Ottawa/Ottawa ChargeVancouver GoldeneyesNWHL/PHFSDHLPHFPWHL61 (2021)Anna ZíkováForward/DefenseGöteborg HC HPK Lakers KärntenSDHL NSML EWHL3
Olympians