Next goal for UMaine seniors: NCAA tournament

When they first set foot on campus, the seniors on the University of Maine women’s soccer team became part of a program that had compiled a 53-131-12 record in its 12-year varsity existence.

Forty-four wins later (44-22-6), the Bear seniors are hoping to win their first America East tournament championship and earn the school’s first NCAA Soccer Tournament berth.

Maine has played in the last two AE title games, losing to BU and Binghamton.

The second-seeded Bears, 11-5-1 overall and 6-1-1 in conference play, will play the winner of Friday’s Binghamton-Maryland-Baltimore County quarterfinal in Sunday’s 2:30 semifinal at BU. Top seed BU will face Friday’s Vermont-New Hampshire winner at noon Sunday.

The title game will be at the highest seeded survivor’s field the following weekend.

“The senior class is really special for a couple of reasons,” said seventh-year head coach Scott Atherley.

“First, there are some walk-ons (Winslow striker Erin Corey, Scarborough striker Maureen McHugh and Waterville striker-midfielder-back Elise Tebbetts) who developed into exceptional players and, second, this class will go down as the most successful one in the history of the program.”

Scarborough striker Heather Hathorn is the school’s all-time leading point-producer (82) and goal scorer (34); Corey (7 goals, 6 assists this season) and McHugh (2 & 2) have shown dramatic improvement over their careers and are having their best seasons; back Linda Consolante, a fifth-year senior after missing last season due to a knee injury, was the 2002 AE Defensive Player of the Year; goalie Tanya Adorno has a school-record 23 career shutouts and Tebbetts is considered the team’s most versatile player by Atherley.

“Everyone has contributed in different ways,” said Hathorn.

Consolante, Corey and Hathorn said Atherley and assistant Jackie Gebhart deserve a lot of credit for the program’s turnaround.

“Coach and Jackie had a vision. They worked really hard to bring in [quality] players and get the program’s name out there,” said Consolante.

Corey said “Coach has an amazing recruiting style. I wasn’t the least bit interested in coming to Maine but he made it sound like the best place in the world. Coach and Jackie turned this program around.”

The tireless Corey first attended UMass but got cut as a freshman.

“She’s an exceptional story. She is arguably one of the best forwards in the conference,” said Atherley. “She never stops running. She makes things happen.”

“She has had an amazing season. She inspires all of us,” said Hathorn.

“I feel like I’ve improved so much in my time here,” said Corey. “I’ve been happy with my career but I’m happier about where the team is. That’s what counts.”

The players said the team is close-knit and they like their AE title chances.

“We’re playing our best soccer right now,” said Hathorn. “Winning the title is our goal. It would be a nice way to end our careers.”

Maine has won six of its last seven games.

“I’m really impressed with the character of our team,” said Consolante.