Julia Ross and Chloe Walton both scored and goaltender Mia Borley stopped four of five shots in a shootout Sunday afternoon, as the Maine Black Bears defeated the Albany Great Danes 2-1 in the America East Field Hockey Championship game at the Maine Field Hockey Complex. It is the first ever AE Title in school history for the Maine Field Hockey team.
After a scoreless first quarter, Maine got on the board first early in the second at 53 seconds when Poppy Lambert was given a penalty stroke chance. Lambert would connect past Albany goaltender Lara Behn for her 15th goal of the season, and the Black Bears would hold a 1-0 lead at halftime. Albany (11-9) increased their pressure in the third quarter and would tie the game when Charlotte Triggs got to a ball near the outside of the circle, took one step inside the circle and let a hard shot go that beat Borley at 6:12 to make it 1-1. Both netminders would stand tall from there, through the third and fourth and a pair of overtimes. The Great Danes had what they thought was the game winner with 12 seconds left in the first overtime off a penalty corner. Albany had a shot deflect pass Borley with just six seconds showing on the clock and the celebration was on, but the referee disallowed the goal after it hit off a foot on its way into the cage. Neither team could get anything going in double overtime as the game moved to a five player shootout.
In the shootout, the second shooter for Maine in Ross and their fourth shooter Walton both scored. Floor de Ruiter connected for Albany as the Great Danes fourth shooter, but Borley stopped Elaina Burchell in the final chance to extend things for the guests sending the Black Bears to the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
Borley made seven saves in the win, including the four of five stops in the shootout format for the senior from England. Behn made five stops in the loss for Albany. The Great Danes had an 8-6 edge on shots on goal, and 6-5 in corners. Maine (15-6) will await word on their next opponent when the NCAA releases the Tournament selections later Sunday evening.
