Black Bears stay in playoff chase> Lecot paces Maine to record 7th win

ORONO – Two teams fighting for the final two soccer playoff spots in America East exhibited playoff intensity at Alumni Field Thursday afternoon.

And the best players responded.

University of Maine sophomore striker Sophie Lecot scored her 13th goal of the season early in the second half and the Black Bears held off Towson State 2-1.

Maine is now 7-7 overall and 3-3 in America East. The seven wins is a school record. Towson State of Maryland slipped to 8-6 and 2-3, respectively.

Lecot’s goal came with 33:17 left in the game as she split a pair of Towson State defenders and broke in alone on goalie Megan Lurnsden. Renee Bussell had made a long pass through the middle of the field that Lecot gathered in.

“I just tried to get the ball to space and Sophie ran on to it,” said Bussell.

“I tried to slow down when I got into the box,” said Lecot, who explained that it is difficult to hit a hard, accurate shot when running full speed. “I saw the goalie coming out and I put it to her left. I hit it with the inside of my right foot because the spin brings the ball back toward the net.”

“I got my fingers on it,” said Lurnsden.

Lecot nearly added to her school-record goal total, but hit two posts on the afternoon.

Maine, led by speedy freshman sweeper Suzanne Grant, defended well throughout the game.

Towson State took a 1-0 lead at the 23:22 mark of the first half when Robyn Harry maneuvered nicely past a pair of Maine defenders and struck a low cross across the goalmouth that was directed into the open net by Kari Colsey.

Maine freshman Katie DeStefano equalized with her first college goal, courtesy of a lucky bounce.

Her low, hard cross from the right flank deflected off the hands and chest of Lurnsden onto the leg of Tigers sweeper Jaime Hartigan and into the net.

Maine had a significant territorial edge, outshooting TSU 18-8.

Coach Dave Patterson’s decision to employ five fullbacks and four midfielders helped negate TSU’s speedy front line.

“We had trouble adjusting to it,” said TSU coach Ron Rainey, who received seven saves from Lurnsden.

“We had a very powerful performance,” said Patterson, who received two saves from goalie Sheila Fenderson. “I thought we physically hammered them. We won just about every 50-50 challenge.”