UMaine field hockey seeking conference title

ORONO – For the five seniors on the University of Maine’s field hockey team, the script couldn’t have been written any better.

But there is a chapter remaining.

That chapter will be finished on Saturday afternoon as the 14-2 Bears will try to earn the top seed for the America East Tournament with a win over the 11-7 University of New Hampshire Wildcats. Game time is 1 p.m. Both are 3-1 in league play.

A victory would also bring the four-team tourney to Morse Field in Orono for the first time next Friday and Sunday.

A loss would probably send the tournament to Northeastern if the Huskies beat rival Boston University.

“I couldn’t ask for anything more my senior year,” said Maine senior wing Kristy Ferran of Winslow. “If we win, we host. We’ve always been the underdogs throughout my freshman, sophomore and junior years. My senior year, it’s in our hands. Ever since we were freshmen, we said ‘Our year is going to be our senior year’ and this is it.”

Senior wing Tara Bedard of Skowhegan said, “We don’t have anything to lose. We’re going to go in confident. If we lose, we’re still in the tournament. We’re in a good spot.”

Ferran said the turning point in the season was the 4-1 loss at Boston University on Oct. 12.

“We were definitely disappointed. That showed our team that we can’t take anybody lightly,” said Ferran, whose Bears have won five straight since that loss.

Bedard said a win “would show the school we’re real good athletes. We’d get more respect.”

Both said they there were plenty of people who questioned their abilities after they concluded their high school careers.

“They told me I’d never be able to go to a Division I school. Look at us now,” said Ferran.

“Or they said if we did go to a Division I program, we wouldn’t be among our team’s top players. It’s awesome that we did this,” said Bedard.

Maine coach Terry Kix said he is “really excited that so many seniors rose to the occasion this season and we have so many Mainers in our lineup.”

There are 14 Maine players on the roster.

Bedard (10 goals, 11 assists), Ferran (7 & 2) and midfielders Rachael Hilgar (7 & 1) and Jen Johnstone (4 & 6) are Maine’s leading scorers while UNH has been powered by the dynamic pair of Marcie Boyer (14 & 11) and Jen Stamp (12 & 6).

Small college playoff slate busy

There is plenty of Sunrise Conference Soccer Tournament action this weekend as well as North Atlantic Conference field hockey.

In women’s soccer, No. 4 Husson will host No. 5 UMaine-Machias at 1:00 and No. 3 Lyndon State will host No. 6 UM-Fort Kent. Top seed UM-Farmington will host the Husson-UMM winner on Tuesday and No. 2 UM-Presque Isle will await the Lyndon State-UMFK victor.

In NAC field hockey Saturday, No. 4 Husson hosts No. 5 Western New England College at 9:30 a.m.; No. 1 Becker hosts No. 8 Thomas College; No. 3 Simmons entertains No. 6 Elms and No. 2 UMaine-Farmington awaits No. 7 Lasell. The semis are Tuesday.

In Sunrise Conference men’s soccer on Sunday, No. 6 Husson visits No. 3 UM-Fort Kent and No. 4 Lyndon State hosts No. 5 the College of St. Joseph’s (Vt.).

On Wednesday, top seed UM-Machias hosts the Lyndon State-College of St. Joseph’s winner and No. 2 UM-Farmington will await the Husson-UMFK victor.

The Sunrise Conference volleyball championship will be decided at noon Saturday when Husson travels to UMaine-Farmington.