Pickering leads Husson to NCAA tourney berth

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BANGOR – Shelby Pickering made the huge jump from Class D Lee Academy to the University of Maine last season, playing in 13 games for the Black Bears women’s soccer team and scoring a goal.

But her desire to study occupational therapy and play both basketball and soccer led her to Husson College and she has powered the Eagles to a berth in the NCAA Division III soccer tournament.

Husson (17-3-1) will travel to Norton, Mass., for an NCAA tourney game against 10th-ranked Wheaton (20-1-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Pickering has scored 27 goals and assisted on 11 others en route to being named the North Atlantic Conference’s Player of the Year.

“She has meant everything to them,” said Maine Maritime Academy coach Craig Dagan. “She’s a tremendous player. They’ve got a good team without her, but they wouldn’t be where they are without her. What makes her special is she makes everyone around her better. She’s a tremendous athlete and a very, very good soccer player. She’s a Division I-caliber player at the Division III level.”

Maine coach Scott Atherley agreed.

“She’s an instinctive goal scorer and when you combine her work ethic and determination, it’s no surprise that she’s had the season she’s had,” said Atherley.

University of Maine-Farmington coach Bob Leib said Pickering is a “legitimate goal scorer and that’s something they were missing the past couple of years.”

“It’s been a good season,” said Pickering. “I didn’t expect to score 27 goals. Not playing college soccer. But it doesn’t matter who scores as long as we win.”

Pickering said her year at Maine was beneficial.

“It was different. But I definitely improved. I learned how to play quicker,” said the 5-foot-8 Pickering. “I liked soccer at Maine. But it was the only thing I was there for. Now that I’m in occupational therapy, there’s more reason to go to school rather than just soccer.”

She said there was a transition in making the move from Maine to Husson.

“There are still a lot of really good players [at this level]. Look at our defense. They’re as good as a lot of defenses in Division I,” said Pickering.

The humble Pickering considers her NAC Player of the Year Award a team honor.

“If the team hadn’t done anything, I wouldn’t have gotten it,” said Pickering, who just turned 20. “Since we did well, I got the award.”

Senior back Meredith Homer faces Pickering in practice every day and is glad she’s on her team.

“She’s incredibly aggressive and she’s very fast,” said Homer. “She sees the other forwards very well and tries to combine with them and make good plays.”

Husson coach Keith Bosley said Pickering has given his team confidence.

“We had a good team last year but we didn’t have a feel for finishing. She gives us the confidence that if we work hard and create opportunities, we’re going to be able to score goals,” said Bosley.

Pickering missed the Eagles’ 1-0 win over UMF in the NAC championship game due to a concussion suffered during Husson’s 5-0 semifinal win over Mount Ida. But she said she feels fine and will be back in the lineup against Wheaton.

She has enjoyed her first fall at Husson.

“It has definitely been a fun season. I don’t want it to end,” said Pickering.

Leib will coach one more season

Leib said he will coach the UMF women’s soccer team for one more year before retiring. He will also conclude his career as the softball coach in two seasons.

He is in his 30th year at UMF. He also coached the men’s soccer team and the baseball team. He coached both the men’s and women’s soccer teams together from 1996 to 2002.

“I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve had 25 pretty darned good years out of 30. That’s a pretty good [percentage] in sports. I’ve had a lot of good teams, I’ve coached a lot of good kids. There are good memories,” said the 61-year-old Leib.

“It’s time to move out and move on. I’m getting old. It’s time for somebody young to take over,” said Leib, a native Pennsylvanian who came to UMF after being an assistant soccer and baseball coach at the University of Delaware.

When he retires, he intends to spend more time with his four grandchildren. His three children live in Maryland, Alabama, and North Carolina.

He intends to continue teaching at the school for at least a couple more years.

Liz Smith shines for Herons

Old Town native Liz Smith has been a key player this season for the William Smith College field hockey team.

Smith, a former Old Town High School standout, scored the first goal in the Herons’ 4-1 win over Eastern University Wednesday in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament at Geneva, N.Y.

“I thought Liz was, arguably, our finest player through the first half,” William Smith coach Sally Scatton said after the win. “She carried us for a good portion of it.”

Smith, a senior midfielder, ranks third on the team in scoring with seven goals and 15 assists in 20 games.

The 17-3 Herons will be in Brunswick for Saturday’s 2 p.m. second-round game against Middlebury. Two more victories would send William Smith back home for the national semifinals and final.

Two other seniors, Katelin Nickerson of Yarmouth and Ashley Barker of Cape Elizabeth, also will return home Saturday.

“Three of our four seniors are from Maine and they really wanted very desperately to get back to Maine to play in front of family and friends,” Scatton said.

USM names men’s hoop captains

The University of Southern Maine men’s basketball team has selected Farmington native Foster Oakley and former Maine Central Institute postgraduate player Josh Daniels as its team captains for the 2006-07 season.

Oakley is a senior guard and Daniels is a junior guard. The Huskies open their season against Lyndon State College on Nov. 17.