UMaine squads finish strong Playoffs beckon for all 3 teams

The University of Maine men’s and women’s soccer and field hockey teams finished their regular seasons with wins Saturday and all will be involved in America East Tournament play this week.

Six teams qualify in soccer and four in field hockey.

The women’s soccer team, which will be making its first ever postseason appearance, upended Vermont 5-1 and earned the third seed. The Bears, 6-2-1 in conference play and 12-3-1 overall, will entertain No. 6 Maryland-Baltimore County (4-4-1, 7-7-1, 4-4-1) on Tuesday at 1 p.m.

The field hockey team, 14-5 overall and 4-2 in league play, beat Albany 7-0 and will be the third seed. The Bears, who lost to Northeastern in last year’s final 4-0, will face No. 2 New Hampshire (10-10, 5-1) in the semifinals at 3:30 p.m. on Friday at Northeastern’s Sweeney Field.

The men’s soccer team qualified for its first postseason appearance since 1994 by stunning top seed Maryland-Baltimore County 4-1. The sixth-seeded Bears, 7-7-4 overall and 3-3-3 in league play, will travel to face No. 3 Hartford (10-8-2, 5-3-1) on Wednesday at 7:00.

Maine’s triumph, Binghamton’s 2-0 win over New Hampshire and Stony Brook’s 4-1 victory over Vermont enabled Maine to leapfrog over UNH and Vermont for the sixth spot.

Women’s soccer

Maine 5, Vermont 1

At Burlington, Vt., sophomore striker Heather Hathorn of Scarborough scored four goals, including two in the game’s first 12:27, to power the Bears past the Catamounts.

She now has eight on the season.

Amy Cochran pulled Vermont within 2-1 early in the second half but Hathorn answered 8:01 later and she followed a Linda Consolante goal with a penalty kick.

Annie Hamel, Kate Crawford and Allison Kelly had assists for Maine and Tanya Adorno made five saves on 16 shots.

Nikkie Hessney had an assist for 5-9-2 Vermont (1-6-2 in league play) and Katie Duffy and Tori Boughton combined for six saves on 17 shots.

Field hockey

Maine 7, Albany 0

At Orono, Jana Ouellette scored a pair of goals and Jay Lance made three saves in posting her fourth shutout of the season.

Maine went 7-0 at Morse Field this season.

Rachael Hilgar, Amie Dubois, Rebecca Ouellet, Karly Bundy and Kirsten Costa scored the other goals and Jaclyn Comeaujj had an assist.

Marisa Maze made 11 saves for 7-12 Albany (2-4 in America East) before Barbara Czaplinski came on with 7:33 left.

Men’s soccer

Maine 4, UMBC 1

At Orono, Keith Moore scored his first goal of the season just 23 seconds into the game, directing a Greg Bajek pass into the open net, to send Maine on its way to the triumph.

It was the first time Maine has scored more than three goals in a game this season and the first time UMBC allowed more than two.

Kevin Forgett converted an Andy Halligan pass with 3:52 left in the first half before Bajek and Justin Stockford added insurance goals in the second half.

Forgett and Moore had assists and Chad Mongeon made two saves on nine shots.

Andy Marchica made three saves on 13 shots for UMBC, which is 10-2-5 overall, 5-1-3 in conference play.