ORONO – University of Maine women’s soccer coach Scott Atherley said his team’s theme this year has been “patience.”

They exhibited plenty of it on Sunday, putting relentless pressure on the Manhattan College net and finally breaking through with three goals in a span of 3:59 early in the second half en route to a 4-0 triumph.

Maine, which outshot Manhattan 34-1, is now 3-0 while Manhattan fell to 0-3.

Maine goalie Tanya Adorno wasn’t forced to make a save.

“We knew it would come eventually. We were in the box [Manhattan penalty area] most of the first half and we knew one of us would put it in,” said sophomore striker Heather Hathorn of Scarborough, who set up Kate Crawford’s game-winner 10:41 into the second half and converted a penalty kick 31 seconds later.

Kim Walsh hooked home an 18-yarder off an Annie Hamel pass to cap the three-goal flurry and the ever-dangerous Hamel added an insurance goal with 4:53 left.

Manhattan freshman Katie Kuntz, a midfielder-fullback who was forced to start in goal in place of the injured Jeanne Marie Gilbert, turned in an exceptional nine-save performance before being assessed a red card for taking down Hathorn in the penalty area with 13:47 left.

Sophomore fullback-turned-goalie Cathy Mitchell came on and saved Hathorn’s second penalty kick and a Crawford breakaway before Hamel scored.

Manhattan finished with nine players because defender Tina Beatty [two yellow cards) was also ejected.

The play leading to Crawford’s goal involved Hamel feeding Hathorn for a run down the left flank. Crawford cut from right to left across the penalty area and slotted Hathorn’s pass inside the post to Kuntz’s left.

“I cut in front of their defender and, instead of shooting the ball, I just placed it with the inside of my foot and it went in,” said Crawford.

“I never even saw the girl [Crawford] coming in from the back side,” said Kuntz, who was making her first start in goal since eighth grade.

Maine was bolstered by the return of America East Defensive Player of the Year Linda Consolante, who was cut by Canada’s World Cup team on Saturday.