Bears blank Hens

Men’s College Soccer

ORONO – Freshmen Jake Ouimet and Jared Morse scored goals in the University of Maine’s 4-2 soccer loss at Boston University eight days ago. They again scored Maine’s only two goals in a Sunday game but this time the result was better for the Bears.

Ouimet’s first-half goal and Morse’s clinching goal with 3:29 remaining in the game gave the Black Bears a 2-0 win over the University of Delaware at Alumni Field here on Sunday.

Maine is now 4-1-1 overall and 3-1 in the North Atlantic Conference. Maine has posted five shutouts with junior goalie D’Appolonia claiming four of them and sharing in the fifth.

Delaware slipped to 0-6, 0-2.

Maine’s 3-1 start in NAC play is its best since 1988, which was the NAC’s inaugural soccer season.

Striker Ouimet notched his sixth goal of the season at the 36:59 mark by finishing off a pretty passing play featuring Pat Laughlin, Mike Dunphy and Tim Dean.

Dean wound up flicking the ball through to Ouimet in the penalty area. He was 12 yards out to the left of Delaware goalie Mark Puican when he volleyed Dean’s pass into the near side corner.

“I love hitting volleys and I hadn’t hit one since the Husson game (a 7-0 Maine win on Sept. 9),” said Ouimet. “I went to the near post with the shot because it was too tough of an angle to go to the far post.”

Delaware played the Bears on even terms in the first half and nearly stunned the Bears with a goal in the first five minutes of play.

But D’Appolonia dove to his right to snare Taco Kiliaan’s volley from the top of the penalty area.

“I just reacted to the shot,” said D’Appolonia.

Maine began controlling play in the second half and limited Delaware’s scoring thrusts.

Mike Nash made a dangerous cross but the alert D’Appolonia rushed out to punch it away from a Blue Hen striker.

Later in the half, Delaware’s Chris Ashby sailed a free kick high and wide from just outside the Maine penalty area.

Morse got the clincher on a breakaway after a Delaware defender’s pass hit him squarely in the chest.

“It was a one-on-two so they should have beat me (with the pass),” said Morse. “But they rushed the pass because they were down by a goal (and were trying to get the equalizer). I knew I was ahead of everybody so I took it in.

The goalie (Puican) made it easy for me. He just stood there. So I slipped it past him (to the goalie’s left). He should have come out at me and made it difficult.”

It was Morse’s second goal of the season.

“We can play better,” said Maine Coach Jim Dyer. “But we have five shutouts in six games so the defense has done it’s job.”

D’Appolonia finished with three saves on seven Delaware shots. Puican was credited with one save on 15 Maine shots.

Ouimet, Morse, striker Dunphy, sweeper Jim Berg and stopper Conor Ward were praised by Dyer for their performances. Delaware received impressive performances from striker Nash, midfielder Kiliaan and fullback Dan Costello.