Courtney Dumont is new to college hockey. Winning isn’t exactly old hat to her Connecticut College team, either.

The first-year player and the upstart program have been a prolific combination so far this winter.

Dumont, a forward from Lewiston (North Yarmouth Academy) has emerged as one of the premier players in the New England Small College Athletic Conference.

More importantly, she has forced that league to stand up and take notice of Connecticut College, which is on pace for the most successful season in its history.

Dumont scored the go-ahead goal in three consecutive games in a five-day span last week.

Her heroics Saturday against Colby and Sunday against Bowdoin earned Dumont NESCAC Player of the Week honors.

She picked up two goals and an assist in the weekend set.

Dumont delivered the game-winner with 27 seconds remaining in regulation to secure a 3-2 win over Colby.

The next day, Dumont again gave the Camels a lead in a back-and-forth battle with Bowdoin. That one wound up with Conn. College on top, 4-3.

Wednesday’s encore against UMass-Boston was a goal and an assist, including yet another tiebreaking tally three minutes into the third period to fuel a 5-3 triumph.

“Courtney has brought a true scoring punch to our team,” Camels coach Kristin Steele said in a news release. “Her confidence in the offensive zone is really fun to watch. The two goals she scored (last) weekend were made for the highlight reel. She works hard to be even better every day, and it shows in her game.”

Dumont ranks third in the league with 11 goals and 16 points. To put that into perspective, her closest Camels teammate has scored four goals.

Conn. College is 8-7 overall and 5-5 in conference. The Camels have never enjoyed a winning season since the program was introduced in 1997-98. They’re a win away from tying the single-season record of nine victories, established two years ago.

Anthoine off to solid start

Another Lewiston product is fitting in nicely for the nationally ranked University of Maine men’s hockey team.

Mark Anthoine has notched a goal and three assists, appearing in 18 of the first 21 games for the No. 12 Black Bears.

Anthoine scored his first collegiate goal in December against Cornell. He set up goals against UMass-Lowell, North Dakota and Northeastern.

Maine won all four games.

The 20-year-old forward made his debut in Orono after a celebrated career in junior hockey. He divided his time last winter between the Chicago Steel and Sioux Falls Stampede.

Fast out of the block

Continuing the theme of freshman phenoms, Allison Fereshetian of Turner (Leavitt) has experienced no trouble fitting in at Maine.

Last year’s Sun Journal girls’ outdoor track and field athlete of the year is making her mark indoors for the Black Bears.

Fereshetian finished second last week in the 60-meter hurdles at Dartmouth College. The University of Vermont also competed in the event.

Her time of 8.9 seconds narrowly missed the ECAC championship qualifying threshold in the event.

Maine competed Saturday in a meet at Bates College, where Fereshetian’s father, Al, is men’s track coach.

On the other end of the experience spectrum, senior Trevor “T.J.” England of Auburn (Poland Regional) appears poised to punctuate his career in style.

England was second in the long jump at the Dartmouth meet. He won the same event at the University of New Hampshire in December.

Quick hits

— Bates College senior Tom Esponnette of Auburn (Edward Little) led the Bobcats’ distance medley relay quartet to victory last Saturday in a home meet against New England power MIT and in-state rival Colby. For the Bates women, Sara Ellen Godek won the shot put and weight throw, setting a personal record and a provisional NCAA qualifying distance in the shot.

— Jacqueline Reis of Bethel (Gould Academy) has two wins and a third-place finish in the early season for the University of Maine at Farmington women’s alpine ski team. Sam Ricker of Turner (Leavitt) has registered three third-place results for the UMF men.

— Auburn’s Bump Heldman (Gould) of Bates was 14th out of 58 racers Friday in the men’s giant slalom at the Colby Carnival on Sugarloaf. Heldman was eighth after the first run.

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