After their first loss since September 4th on Tuesday night against Boston University breaking a 10 game win streak, the #23 University of Maine Field Hockey team returned home to take on Vermont at the Maine Field Hockey Complex in Orono on Friday afternoon in conference action. Molly Mackesy would score late in the fourth quarter to give the Black Bears a 2-1 win, clinching a regular season America East Title and home field advantage in the upcoming conference tournament.
Despite Vermont carrying most of the play in the first half with a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal and 6-1 on penalty corners, Maine got the only goal. Sydney Meader netted her eighth of the season off the only corner opportunity of the first half for the Black Bears at 5:33 of the first quarter, and the hosts held a 1-0 lead at the halftime break.
The Catamounts tied it when Alina Gerke scored 2:48 into the third quarter. The game remained 1-1 until late in the fourth, and just when it looked like it may go to overtime Mackesy notched the game winner with a highlight reel goal with 2:50 to play. Mackesy broke into the circle and fired a backhanded shot while falling to the turf that beat Vermont goaltender Sierra Espeland up high stick side. Maine wins the regular season title for the second straight year, and will hope to repeat their first ever postseason conference championship from 2021.
Mia Borley made eight saves in net in the victory. Bhreagh Kennedy added an assist. Sophia Drees had the assist on the Gerke goal for Vermont, who falls to 11-4 and 4-3 in conference play. Espeland made seven saves. Maine is now 12-4, 6-0 in America East and has two regular season games remaining both at home against Stanford and the University of California-Davis next Friday and Sunday afternoon respectively.
