Alina Gerke scored a game winning goal early in the fourth quarter on Friday afternoon, leading the Vermont Catamounts to a 2-1 America East Field Hockey win over the Maine Black Bears at Moulton Winder Field in Burlington, Vermont. The win clinched a spot in the conference playoffs for Vermont.
After a scoreless first half that saw Maine have the only two shots on goal, Saylor Kuefler got the visiting Black Bears on the board first on an assist from Kate Richardson 3:49 into the third quarter. It took Vermont (7-8, 4-3 America East) just 2:04 to equalize, as Lilly Leiprecht finished at the far post following an initial shot by Lauren Schellhamer that had been stopped by Jayde Temby. The game winner by Gerke came unassisted 46 seconds into the final stanza to extend the Catamounts win streak to three.
Temby made two saves in the loss for Maine, who falls to 7-9 and 3-4 in the America East. Lauren Halenkamp had three saves in the victory for Vermont. The Black Bears, who had already clinched a spot in the six team conference postseason, will return home to Orono to face Northeastern in a non-conference matchup on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Recap by Chris Lessner
