Maine makes 4 penalty kicks to oust Hartford Bears earn first berth in America East title game

BOSTON – The University of Maine’s record-setting women’s soccer team had its sights set on two more milestones during their America East semifinal against the University of Hartford Friday afternoon.

Maine, with a school-record 13 wins and a first-ever America East playoff appearance, was searching for its first berth in a league championship game and its eight seniors were seeking their first-ever victory over the Hawks.

The Bears accomplished both the hard way, converting their first four penalty kicks in the shootout after 90 regulation minutes and two 10-minute overtimes.

The game at Boston University’s Nickerson Field was a scoreless tie and Maine sophomore goalie set the tone for the shootout by diving to her right and rejecting Hilde Bakke’s opening penalty kick with both hands.

Maine’s Heather Hathorn, Katie Hodge, and Kate Crawford converted from the penalty spot and Maine led 3-2. Cindy Walsh and Jaime Pendleton had scored for Hartford.

But when Hartford’s Susanne Nilsson sailed her PK high and wide right, Maine’s Linda Consolante tucked her penalty kick past Hartford senior goalie Heather Hinton’s right side and Maine advanced.

Teams are each allowed five penalty kicks unless the outcome is decided before all five are attempted, which was the case for third-seeded Maine.

The game goes into the record books as a tie, but Maine, now 13-3-2, advances to play BU in Sunday’s 1 p.m. title game at Nickerson Field. The winner will receive a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Second seed Hartford finished at 7-10-3.

BU beat New Hampshire 2-1.

“We sent a message tonight,” said elated Maine coach Scott Atherley, who had his team practice penalty kicks on Thursday. “We lost to them a week ago [2-1 in overtime] and I thought we were the better team.”

Ironically, one of Hartford’s goals was a penalty kick by Bakke.

“I faced her before. She knew what I liked to do. She’s a good goalie,” said Bakke, who was outstanding in the back for the Hawks throughout the match.

“The last time, I dove to the right and she put it right down the middle,” said Adorno. “It’s just a reaction thing.”

“It’s tough to score,” noted Consolante, the Canadian World Cup team member who calmly slotted her decisive penalty kick cleanly beyond Hinton’s reach.

Scoring chances were few and far between in the first half as each team received solid play from its backs and a strong defensive commitment from the midfielders and strikers. Both teams got numbers on the defensive side of the ball.

Both goalies made alert plays to snare crosses, but neither was forced to make a dramatic save.

It was more of the same early in the second half before the Bears began controlling play and generated the game’s best chance when Hathorn’s through ball sent leading scorer Annie Hamel in alone on Hinton.

Hinton came out to cut down the angle and she snared Hamel’s 14-yarder from the middle of the penalty area with 25 minutes remaining.

Hathorn had a tough-angle shot minutes later that Hinton grabbed with another Bear lurking on the doorstep.

Hartford had its best opportunity with 8:30 remaining when Bear fullback Angela Clark made an ill-advised clear that landed on the foot of Hartford’s Jeannette Akerlund. Adorno had come out to play the ball and was caught out of position, but Akerlund sailed her hurried shot wide of the near post.

Maine had the best chance in the overtimes when Hathorn fed Hamel for a 10-yarder in the middle of the box, but she couldn’t get a lot on it and Hinton made a comfortable save.

Maine outshot Hartford 17-8. Adorno made three saves, while Hinton finished with four.