UMaine, BU women play to 1-1 tie

ORONO – University of Maine women’s soccer coach Scott Atherley stressed the need for his players to follow their shots as he addressed them during the intermission of Thursday’s America East game against Boston University.

The blustery wind which was accompanied by a driving rain in the second half made every shot an adventure for the drenched goalies.

Maine senior striker Erin Corey of Winslow heeded the advice and converted a miscue by BU sophomore goalie Christina Reuter into her third goal of the season with 6:15 remaining in regulation to give the Bears a 1-1 double-overtime tie.

Maine is 5-4-1 overall and 0-0-1 in America East play. Boston University, the preseason league favorite in the coaches poll, is now 5-4-3 and 1-0-1, respectively. The Bears were picked to finish second.

Senior Melissa Shulman scored her team-leading fourth goal just 10:40 into the game to open the scoring for BU.

Sophomore Laura Harper set up Corey’s goal by intercepting the ball on the right flank near midfield and sending a long cross to the far post.

Reuter beat Corey comfortably to the ball but it slipped out of her hands and the alert Corey poked it around her and deposited it into the unattended net.

“I messed up. I should have had it. I was looking to play it right away and the ball skipped a bit,” said Reuter. “The conditions were awful but I don’t want to make excuses. It was a nice finish by her. She took it in and put it away. She kept them in the game by staying with the play.”

“Coach is always telling us to follow our shots,” said Corey.

The conditions also contributed to BU’s goal as fullback Linda Consolante’s goal kick against the wind went right to Shulman, who controlled the ball with her right leg, took a touch and rifled a 25-yarder inside the post to the right of Maine goalie Tanya Adorno.

Sophomore Jasmine Phillips replaced Adorno at the outset of the second half because Atherley wanted to take advantage of her strong leg with the wind.

She stayed in during the overtimes and came up with two tie-preserving saves in the second overtime.

Phillips first steered a 17-yard chip by the dynamic Meghann Cook around the near post and then she dove to her right to rob Susan Marschall who headed Cook’s corner toward the far post.

“She made a nice save,” said Marschall, who had a first-half header headed off the line by Maine’s Elise Tebbetts.

“It was a nasty save,” said Corey.

BU parlayed its superior quickness and athleticism into a territorial advantage but the Bears defended well, received some important saves from both goalies and generated some of their own chances behind the work of the tireless Corey.

Maine’s Brittany Saisselin had a chance to win it as time expired but her curling free kick from just outside the penalty area sailed six inches over the crossbar.

“The elements were a factor. I thought [the tie] was a fair and just result,” said Atherley.

Adorno made two saves on 16 shots and Phillips had four on 10 shots while Reuter finished with five saves on 21 shots.