Perseverance pays off for Mendell Palmyra native led Bears to playoffs

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University of Maine field hockey coach Terry Kix will readily admit that when Palmyra’s Liz Mendell first came to Maine, “I never thought she’d see the field.”

But Mendell had wanted to play for the Black Bears ever since her parents, Don and Susan, started taking her to Maine field hockey games when she was a youngster.

And her perseverance has been rewarded.

After a redshirt freshman year, Mendell continually improved to the point where she has been a vital contributor in her role as the starting sweeper the last two seasons. She is also one of the captains.

Maine, 12-6 and the third seed, will face 15-3 Northeastern, the No. 2 seed, in Friday’s 11:30 a.m. America East semifinal in Cambridge, Mass.

Also on Friday, the Maine women’s soccer team, 12-5-1 and the No. 2 seed, will face No. 3 New Hampshire, 11-7-2, in an America East semifinal at Vestal, N.Y.

Mendell recalled that when she finally made the team, “I said I didn’t come this far to sit on the bench.”

“In my 14 years at Maine, she is the most improved player I have ever coached,” said Kix. “If there was an award for perseverance, she would be a landslide winner. She is relentless. She works so hard. She has been our best all-around player all year and is the heart and soul of our team.”

Forward Traci Rainone said Mendell has been “an inspiration for this team.

“She comes out every single day, gives it her all and pushes her teammates. She’s a great captain, a great leader. She sees the whole field and isn’t afraid to tell someone where they should be. She helps us out and gives us encouragement,” Rainone added.

Mendell said the turning point in her career occurred during her third season at Maine.

“I began playing more and then that following spring, they put me back on defense and it just clicked. I found my niche,” said Mendell, who had been a forward.

Her confidence soared as a sweeper and she started last season despite missing seven games with a broken finger.

“I love playing sweeper,” said the former three-sport star at Newport’s Nokomis High School. “It’s a very important role on the field. I feel like the quarterback. I can see everything going on. I play a lot of defense but I can also play a lot of offense. I don’t have any one to mark so I get a lot of opportunity to play up the field if I want to.”

In addition to her defensive tenacity and efficiency, Mendell, who has four defensive saves, has also produced offensively.

She has three goals and three assists and is used on Maine’s penalty corner unit.

“I’m backing up right now which is fine. It’s kind of a continuation of my sweeper role,” said Mendell. “I let them know what’s coming at them so the corner unit can make quick decisions. And I’m comfortable with the ball if it comes to me.”

Mendell admits she has been surprised by her offensive numbers.

“I didn’t expect to be scoring goals and assisting people. That’s a huge thing to me,” said Mendell.

Mendell credited her parents for supporting her and believing in her and she said her high school basketball coach, Earl Anderson, has also been instrumental in her success by teaching her how to maximize her potential.

The Bears have lost to Northeastern in the last two America East finals but she feels her team has a good shot to upset the Huskies.

“They’re a very good team. They’re very skilled, but they’re beatable and we know that. Each player needs to bring their A game and if we do that, we have a very good chance,” said Mendell, a nursing student.

In addition to Mendell, Maine has also been paced by Rachael Hilgar (8 goals, 7 assists), Rainone (7 & 3), Kasey Spencer (8 & 0), Meagan Connolly (5 & 5), Shaunessy Saucier (5 & 5) and goalie Jamie Morin (12-6, 1.29 goals-against average, .811 save percentage).

The high-powered Huskies feature Liane Dixon (18 & 11), Mari Creatini (17 & 3) and Whitney Shean (12 & 3).

The Black Bear women’s soccer team, like the field hockey team, has received balanced scoring, a strong and veteran defense, and solid goaltending.

Heather Hathorn (9 & 9), Marie-Andree Canuel (10 & 2), Laura Harper (6 & 1), and Erin Corey (5 & 1) have been the offensive catalysts. All of Corey’s goals have been game-winners.

Allison Kelly has been superb in the back and Tanya Adorno is 10-5-1 with an 0.55 goals-against average and an .804 save percentage.

UNH has been led by Chiara Best, who has 14 goals and three assists.

Snyder breaks records early

Bangor native Lindsey Snyder kicked off her collegiate swimming career at Central Connecticut State with two school records and a meet record.

Snyder, a Bangor High graduate and CCSU freshman, posted a time of 59.43 seconds in the 100-yard breaststroke during the CCSU Pentathlon, which is an intrasquad meet. Her time was both a meet and a school record.

She also broke the Blue Devil school record for the 200 backstroke as CCSU opened its season in the Sonny Werblin Invitational at Rutgers University. Her time of 2:07.98 was good for a third-place finish. Snyder was second in the 100 backstroke in that meet and was on a relay team that was fourth in the 200 free relay, the 400 free relay and the 400 medley relay.