The University of Maine women’s soccer team has made it a conference three-peat. The Black Bears outlasted the Vermont Catamounts in a penalty kick shootout (4-3) to win the America East Championship for a third straight time 3-2 at Virtue Field in Burlington, Vermont on Sunday afternoon.
#2 seed Vermont got off a quick start, scoring twice in the first 18 minutes of the match on goals by Emma Warren (3′) and Lauren Degroot (18′). Maine sliced the deficit in half in the 28th minute on a tally from Jordane Pinette that was assisted by Luise Reinwald. Catamounts goalie Kylee Carafoli made the initial save on the shot by Reinwald that clanked off the crossbar, but Pinette was there to scoop up the rebound to put it in. The guests evened it in the 52nd minute. Julie Lossius in the box sent it out to the 20 to Grace Johnson. Johnson, the native of South Burlington playing in her hometown, struck it with her right foot beating an outstretched Carafoli for the long tally inside the right post to make it 2-2. UVM had a great opportunity to go ahead with about 14 minutes left when Degroot beat Black Bear defenders Meghan Bernetti and Olivia Grisdale and broke in alone on goalkeeper Elena Barenberg. Barenberg though came out to challenge and came up with the huge save for her team in eventually sending the game to overtime.
The teams played through a pair of scoreless 10-minute overtimes, forcing a five player penalty kick shootout to decide it. Barenberg made a diving save to her right to deny the third Catamounts shooter Degroot, and then after Grisdale made it 4-3 Black Bears (who were 4-4 in PKs), she ended it on another spectacular diving stop on the fifth Vermont shooter Vanessa Smith in lifting Maine back to the NCAA Tournament.
Sydney Remington, Kaley Kreutzer, and Della Weir each had an assist in the loss for Vermont. Carafoli made eight saves. The Catamounts, who were seeking their first America East Championship since 2021, end their season with a record of 8-4-6. Reinwald had an assist on both goals for #4 seed Maine, and Lossius had one on the tying goal. Barenberg was huge in regulation and the shootout to help her team pick up the win, making a total eight stops that included the two she made in the shootout. The Black Bears are now 6-7-4 and will await their game location and opponent when the NCAA unveils the tournament field during the selection show on Monday at 4 p.m.
Featured photo is courtesy of UMaine Athletics
