BURLINGTON, Vt. – Paul Kelly’s goal off a direct kick in the second overtime gave the University of Maine men’s soccer team a 2-1 victory over Vermont and carried the Black Bears a step closer to their first North Atlantic Conference playoff berth since 1990.

Kelly fired the ball from 30 yards out over a defensive wall and past Catamount goalie Rob Radakovic at 5:09 of the second overtime with Maine down a man because of a red card call less than a minute and a half earlier.

Ouimet scored in the second half to lift Maine, now 9-5 overall and 4-2 in the NAC, into a 1-1 tie. Goalie Jeremy Dube made five saves on 21 shots.

Eric Horigan opened the scoring with a first-half goal for Vermont, 9-8-1 and 3-3. Radakovic made six saves on 15 shots.

Women’s soccer

UNE 5, UMF 3

At Waterville, Meghan Worcester kicked home three goals, powering the University of New England of Biddeford to a 5-3 win over UMaine-Farmington in the semifinals of the Maine Athletic Conference women’s soccer tournament at Thomas College.

Danielle DeRosier added a pair of goals for top-seeded UNE (17-0), which advances to face St. Joseph’s College in Sunday’s MAC final here at 11 a.m. Keeper Diane Duffy keyed UNE’s defense by making one save, facing 8 shots.

For UM-Farmington (6-7-1), Bethanie Boccelli had a goal and an assist. Wendy Hack and Amy Fletcher also had goals. Melissa Black made 8 saves in net, facing 22 shots.

St. Joe’s 5, UM-Presque Isle 4

At Thomas College earlier, Neile Joler’s penalty kick following two overtimes and two sudden death overtimes proved the difference as second-seeded St. Joseph’s pulled out the victory. Regulation ended with a 1-1 tie.

Joler also scored unassisted during regulation for St. Joe’s.

Karen Rogers made 11 saves in net, facing 15 shots, including the penalty kicks for St. Joe’s (12-4-1).

For third-seeded UM-Presque Isle, 8-4-1, Kelly Picard scored the lone goal in regulation off a Kelli Daigle assist. Michelle Davis made 13 saves in net, facing 18 shots.

Loyola 1, Maine 0

At Chicago, Erika Chung’s goal from 4 yards out one minute before halftime was all Loyola could get, but it was all it needed.

Goalie Chanielle Yost made the score stand up as she made four saves on nine shots for Loyola, which is now 5-11-2.

Maine goalie Allison Snooks stopped nine of 20 shots. Snooks has faced 401 shots and made 228 saves, both season records for the Black Bears, who are 1-14.