Consolante helps UMaine salvage tie with Huskies

ORONO – University of Maine freshman sweeper Linda Consolante transformed what would have been a demoralizing loss into an acceptable draw Thursday afternoon.

Consolante roofed a six-yard indirect free kick with just 1:18 remaining as the Black Bears salvaged a 2-2 double-overtime soccer tie with Northeastern.

Maine is now 5-2-3 overall, 2-1-2 in America East. Maine hosts league leader Boston University on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Northeastern is 5-2-4, 1-1-3 respectively.

The Bears were awarded the indirect free kick after a wild flurry in which they had three point-blank shots blocked by NU defenders. Referee Mike Violette ruled that an NU defender was guilty of a dangerous play during the scramble.

The Huskies put their players along the goal line but Annie Hamel tapped the ball to her right and Consolante rifled it over a Husky player’s head.

“They were short so I basically figured they weren’t going to be able to jump up to the crossbar,” said Consolante, whose goal was her second of the season. “I saw the space.”

Northeastern senior goalie Shellie Parkinson asked, “How do you even defend against that, really? We had everyone on the line. She put it exactly where she had to.”

Senior midfielder Melissa Cohen’s third goal of the season, coming with 10:41 remaining, had staked Northeastern to a 2-1 lead.

Lisa Norlin had skimmed a header off a Lindsey Eberman throw-in that slipped through the arms and legs of Maine goalie Naomi Welsh.

Cohen deposited the loose ball into the vacant net.

Maine had the better of the chances throughout and outshot the Huskies 21-13.

Kate Crawford’s second goal of the season staked Maine to a 1-0 lead just 4:07 into the game as she ran unmarked onto a through ball, thanks to an Emily Stevens pick, and beat Parkinson with a low 12-yarder into the far corner.

Caitlin Springer equalized for Northeastern 3:43 into the second half. She took a pass on the right flank from freshman Liz Dyjak, niece of Orono High girls soccer coach Cid Dyjak, and launched a cross that sailed over Welsh’s head for her sixth goal of the year.

The relentless Bears generated three dangerous break-ins over the next nine minutes but Crawford, sent in twice by Katie Hodge, rolled both shots wide of the far post.

In between, Stevens blasted her solo over the crossbar.

Moments later, Consolante’s forceful header off an Allison Kelly free kick glanced off the far post.

Both teams generated productive chances in overtime. NU’s Jennifer North’s shot hit the crossbar.

“The saving grace was we battled right to the end and never gave up. We deserved to get that last goal. We worked hard for it,” said Maine coach Scott Atherley.

Each goalie finished with three saves.