The University of Maine field hockey and soccer teams both opened up their home schedules on Sunday afternoon by hosting non-conference games in Orono.
At the Maine Field Hockey Complex in a back and forth high scoring affair, the Providence College Friars knocked off the #24 Maine Black Bears 5-4 in overtime.
PC scored the only goal of the first quarter when Sydney Cramer scored at the 12 minute mark. Maine (0-2) got even in the second quarter with both goals scored by Brooke Sulinski. Olivia Ward had a goal in between Sulinskis pair in the quarter for the Friars and it was 2-2. Izzy Mendez gave Providence the lead back early in the third quarter, before Hana Davis tied it for Maine 24 seconds later. Niamh Gowing again put the Friars up just over three minutes after the Davis goal to give the visitors the lead heading into the last 15 minutes of regulation. Brianna Ricker tipped one in with just over 12:30 left in the game for the only goal of the fourth to tie it for the Bears at 4-4 and send it into overtime. A backhanded shot 12:46 into the extra session from just inside the top of the box by Nora Goddard-Despot won it for Providence.
Maine outshot PC 11-10, while the Friars had a 12-11 advantage in penalty corners including six in the fourth quarter. Mia Borley made five saves in the Black Bear loss, while Lydia Rice made seven for PC. Maine travels for a pair of games at Kent State University this weekend. The Bears will play the host KSU Saturday at 9 a.m., and then will meet Temple Sunday at 11 a.m.
Meanwhile at Mahaney Diamond, the Maine women’s soccer team won their home opener and recorded their first victory of 2019 when they knocked off Bryant College 1-0.
Emilie Anderson scored the only goal the Bears would need when she scored on a penalty kick in the 34th minute after being tackled in the box. Kira Kutzinski made four first half saves in her season debut in net for Maine, and the defense stepped it up in the second half allowing only one shot on goal from the Bulldogs. The Black Bears improve their record to 1-1.
The final shots on goal were 9-5 in favor of Maine, with each team also having four corner kicks. The sophomore Kutzniski stopped all five shots getting the shutout in her first career college start. Meghan Dalton stopped nine shots for Bryant, who falls to 1-2. The Bears head back on the road on Wednesday when they travel to New Jersey to battle St. Peter’s University at 3:30 p.m.
