The Husson College women’s soccer team has strung together an eight-game winning streak during which it has outscored its opponents 40-3.

The Eagles are 12-3-1 overall and 9-1 and in second place in the North Atlantic Conference. Elms College (Mass.), the last team to beat Husson (1-0 on Sept. 24), leads the league at 9-0.

Ninth-year coach Keith Bosley has been understandably pleased with his team’s performance to date, but is quick to point out his Eagles are a “work in progress.”

“We aren’t where we want to be. We have the tools to be very good. But we don’t feel as if we’ve achieved anything yet,” said Bosley. “If we stay disciplined and committed to playing with energy and emotion, we’re pretty good. If we don’t, we’re pretty average.”

There hasn’t been anything average about the Eagles, statistically.

They have outscored NAC opponents 44-4 and have a 59-10 edge overall. Besides the loss to Elms, their only other losses have come to regional powers Bates (1-0) and Colby (2-1).

The addition of transfers Shelby Pickering and Samantha Homer from the University of Maine and Katie Nickerson from Keene (N.H.) State has significantly improved the Eagle attack.

Lee native Pickering is their leading scorer with 18 goals and 9 assists, Belfast’s Nickerson is next with 9 & 3, and Homer has produced 6 & 1 in 12 games with a team-high four game-winners.

Pickering has three game-winners and Nickerson two.

Bosley said Pickering is strong and relentless in getting to the opposing net, Nickerson is a playmaker who can also score, and speedster Homer is tough to handle one-on-one.

Freshman Danielle Lorusso (3 & 1) has also been an effective attacker with her dynamic speed, and backup goalie Tatyana Wolterbeek has been inserted into the front line and has scored four goals, resulting in additional playing time.

“We’re able to rotate five players into the attack without much of a dropoff,” said Bosley.

Bucksport senior Shaina Goode (1 & 2) anchors the midfield and is the “heart and soul of the team. She has an incredible work rate,” said Bosley, who uses Goode as a holding (defensive) midfielder.

Bucksport’s Elissa Gordon (4 & 3) and Hampden’s Dani Billings (2 & 2) trade off as the attacking midfielders and “do a good job winning tough balls,” said Bosley.

Laurie Melen (2 & 3) and Kaylin Caron (1 & 2) have also been productive midfielders.

Husson has allowed only six shots in its last three games and one of the major reasons is the imposing trio in the back: left back Laura Clarke from Bangor, center back Shelby Morissette (5 & 3), and right back Meredith Homer, Samantha’s older sister. All three stand either 5-foot-8 or 5-9.

“They’re very athletic, they’re tall, they have quick feet, and they’re smart,” said Bosley.

If teams do manage to create a scoring chance, the Eagles have a top-notch goaltender in Caribou senior Leah Drew, who owns virtually every goaltending record at the school. She has played every minute this season and has eight shutouts, a 0.65 goals-against average, and an .891 save percentage.

UM-Farmington coach Bob Leib said Husson has a “good goalie in Leah Drew and they’re more offensive than they have been. They’re able to capitalize on other team’s mistakes, which is something they haven’t done in the past.”

Five inducted into UMF hall

Former men’s basketball standout Mike Nelson is among five University of Maine-Farmington graduates to be inducted recently into the UMF Athletics Hall of Fame.

Donna Storey Kane (Class of 1990) Kristi Hardy-Gilson (1990), Kristi Gallop-Emery (1988) and Vincent Sculco (1989) also were honored for their accomplishments at UMF.

Nelson played four seasons with the Beavers, finishing with 1,166 career points on the strength of a .609 field-goal percentage and a .792 free-throw percentage, both among the best in school history.

Storey Kane was a women’s hoop star, twice earning NAIA District V first-team honors. She tallied 1,304 points, graduating as UMF’s career scoring, rebounding and blocked shots leader.

Hardy-Gilson made her mark in basketball, scoring 1,000-plus career points while notching a 50-point game. She left UMF holding school records for assists and steals and was second to Storey in scoring.

Gallop-Emery excelled in volleyball, earning NAIA All-New England first-team honors and gaining a spot on the NEWVA Division III Seniors Classic.

Sculco was an exemplary performer in basketball. He left UMF as its No. 4 all-time scorer (1,283 points) on the strength of a .530 career field-goal percentage.

Bangor’s Brown wins tourney

Bryan Brown of Colby College in Waterville battled through four difficult matches Sunday to win the “A” flight singles title in the Wallach Men’s Tennis Invitational at Bates College in Lewiston.

Brown, a sophomore from Bangor, opened with a 2-6, 6-3 (10-8 pro set) win over Ben Stein of Bates. He followed that up with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Amherst’s Jeff Wan in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, Brown eked out a 7-5, 4-6 (10-6) victory against Andrew Lee of Middlebury before posting a 6-4, 6-3 win over Alex Caughron of Bowdoin College in Brunswick in the championship round.

Brown and teammate Alex Chin also played doubles, but were ousted in the first round.

Brown had a successful freshman campaign at Colby, leading the squad with 23 victories in singles play while sharing the No. 1 slot with Brody Saunders (22 wins).

Brown earned a reputation as one of the state’s top singles players while at Bangor High. He led the Rams to the 2002 Class A state championship as a freshman and claimed the State Singles crown in 2004.

Saint Joseph’s softball honored

The Saint Joseph’s College softball team has been honored by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as one of the Top Ten All-Academic Teams for 2005-06.

The Standish-based Monks, coached by Jamie Smyth, ranked seventh nationally among NCAA Division III programs with a cumulative team GPA of 3.515.