Phillips has goal in mind Maine women’s soccer squad earns Top 25 ranking

The University of Maine women’s soccer team has entered the SoccerAmerica Top 25 for the first time in school history. The 8-0-1 Black Bears, off to their best-ever start, are ranked 24th.

One of the primary reasons is sophomore goalie Jasmine Phillips, who has allowed only three goals while compiling six shutouts, an 0.32 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage.

The 5-foot-8 sophomore from Nepean, Ontario, the America East Goalkeeper of the Year and first-team selection last season, is currently in the midst of a scoreless streak spanning 380 minutes, 14 seconds.

“You always try [to put up impressive numbers] but you don’t expect it. I’m happy about it,” said Phillips, who was quick to credit her teammates for the success.

“They’ve been playing very well defensively. I haven’t faced a lot of chances. They’ve made my job easy,” said Phillips.

Brown University assistant Mandi Risden, whose team lost to Maine 1-0, said Phillips is “very intense and very focused. She’s always in the right position. She’s a very good goalkeeper.”

Connecticut head coach Len Tsantiris and his Huskies battled to a 1-1 tie with Maine, and he said Phillips “kept them in the game. She did a good job holding on to the ball in the rain and getting to our crosses. She directed her defense well.”

Phillips began her goaltending career at age 8 and she said, “I grew to love it.”

She is aggressive, and Phillips said “you have to be to play this position.”

Maine coach Scott Atherley said Phillips does much more than just make saves.

“She can kick the ball longer than any college goaltender I’ve seen and she can throw the ball as far as most ‘keepers kick it. That makes us a better attacking team,” said Atherley. “She is such a good athlete and is such a presence for us. She has great foot skills. She instills a lot of confidence in our players. And she doesn’t allow a goal or a mistake affect her.”

University of Rhode Island coach Zac Shaw said Phillips’ ball distribution is “awesome.

“Every time she serves the ball, she serves it well beyond midfield and we found that a little difficult to deal with,” said Shaw. “She is steady and solid. She made a couple of big saves against us [2-0 Maine win] but she didn’t have to be spectacular because her team defends very, very well.”

Phillips said her ability to distribute the ball has resulted from “lots of practice.”

Atherley landed Phillips late. He didn’t find out until graduation week in 2004 that goalie Amy Holt wasn’t returning so he called a contact in Ottawa and learned about Phillips.

“I went up, watched her train [and play], and signed her,” said Atherley.

Phillips said she was going to “go an extra year of [prep] school” in Ontario but got “really lucky” when Atherley offered her a scholarship and thought it would be a good fit.

It has been.

“I enjoy it here very much,” said Phillips, who was a medical redshirt her freshman year after suffering a knee injury and was 6-2-2 with seven shutouts, an 0.29 GAA and a .900 save percentage last year.

Maine will open its America East schedule against the nation’s No. 18 team, Boston University (7-2-1), on Thursday night in Boston.

“It should be a great game,” said Phillips.