FINAL SCORE: Vermont 3, Maine 1
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Bridget Baker pocketed the game-winning goal for the second time in as many days while linemates Alyssa Gorecki and Saana Valkama also had multi-point afternoons as Vermont topped Maine 3-1 on Sunday at Gutterson Fieldhouse.
 
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The win propels UVM into a three-way tie for third place in Hockey East with a conference record of 6-3-3 and an overall mark of 10-7-5. The Black Bears fall to 6-14-1 on the season (2-10-1 WHEA). Sunday's results also locked up a regular season sweep for the Catamounts, who took all three contests against Maine for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign.
 
"Credit to Maine for a great response and playing very tough today," said head coach Jim Plumer. "I'm really proud of our team for how hard we battled, especially after not getting off to a good start."
 
Senior Madison Litchfield made 26 saves to take home her 27th career win, tying Roxanne Douville (2010-14) for the Division I program record in that category.
 
"We would not have won the game without Madi's outstanding performance," Plumer added. She was the MVP today and it's a credit to her and our entire team for a gritty effort."
 
Maine struck first for the second straight day with Catherine Tufts' goal at 6:32 of the first period. Mikayla Rogers began the sequence by firing into traffic from the right point. The shot was blocked but ultimately corralled by Lydia Murray and wound up being whacked home at the hash marks by Tufts, earning her fifth goal.
 
With an even eight minutes to play in the second period the Catamounts evened the score at one-all. Baker fed Gorecki the puck at her own blue line, allowing the latter to walk into the offensive zone and find Valkama for the game-tying tally, her third goal of the season.
 
Baker then gave UVM the lead for good at the 7:39 mark of the third. She came up with the puck in the right corner, skating back into the circle before sending her shot past a screened Carly Jackson of Maine for what ultimately stood as the game-winner. Valkama was credited an assist on the play.
 
Maine pulled Jackson in the latter stages of the third and pressured, but Litchfield refused to budge. That sequence allowed Gorecki to receive the puck from Rachael Ade and win a race against the clock to bury an empty-netter with 3.1 seconds remaining in the game.
 
Jackson had 24 saves for the Black Bears in the setback.
 
UVM was perfect on the penalty kill for the 11th consecutive contest, turning in 3-for-3 day and now failing to surrender a goal on its opponents' last 38 power play opportunities. That streak leads the nation and stretches 656 minutes, 44 seconds of game time since facing Connecticut on Nov. 20.
 
The Green and Gold now prepare to head to the Bay State once again, dueling at Boston University next weekend (Jan. 14-15) with both games slated for 3 p.m. at Walter Brown Arena.
 
The Windjammer and Upper Deck Pub is the presenting sponsor of the 2016-17 women's hockey season