Well-rounded Eagles top NAC ranks

Boasting a lineup that features a mixture of veterans and underclassmen, the Husson College field hockey team is having one of the best seasons in the program’s history.

Coming off Tuesday’s 3-0 North Atlantic Conference home victory over Thomas College of Waterville, sixth-year coach Sharon Tracy’s Eagles occupy first place in the conference standings.

Husson is 10-3 overall, 7-0 in league play, as it heads into the final week of regular-season action. The team is 7-0 at home.

The Eagles have demonstrated both a potent offense and a stingy defense during NAC action. They’re averaging a conference-best 5.0 goals per contest and have allowed only five goals (0.38 per game).

Spearheading the Husson offense are forwards Erica Dorso and Elisha Dorso, two sisters from Farmingdale, both of whom played at St. Dominic in Lewiston.

Junior Erica, an All-NAC first-team choice in 2006, has tallied a team-leading 10 goals and nine assists. Elisha, a sophomore second-team pick, ranks second on the team with seven goals and six assists.

Junior midfielder Erin Nason of Unity has scored seven goals, including four game-winners. with an assist and sophomore mid Sarah Hessert of Hampden has accounted for five goals. Other offensive contributors include senior Krystal Doughty of Lisbon Falls (2 goals, 7 assists), junior Michelle Barden (1&1), freshman Skye Ellis of Belfast (4&2), sophomore Alyssa Bragdon of Newport (2&1) and freshman Courtney Allen of Gardiner (3&0).

The defense has been backstopped by senior goalie Kelly Bocchino of Vassalboro. She has posted four shutouts on her way to a 2.19 goals-against average.

Bocchino has faced only 63 shots all season (4.8 per outing), a testament to Husson’s outstanding defensive play in front of her.

Midfielder Shawna Bell of Corinth, an All-NAC second-team selection, halfback Lindsay Barnes of Owls Head, mid Jenika Kelly of Livermore and back Kelsey Bushover of Vassalboro have played important roles in the Eagles’ rise to the top of the NAC.

Husson’s success has been built off a gradual climb during the last three seasons. The Eagles were 4-12 in 2004, improved to 7-9 in 2005, then posted an 8-7 record last fall.

Husson has excelled despite having only two seniors and five juniors on the roster. Nineteen of its 26 players are freshmen and sophomores.

The Eagles started the season 1-2, but then rattled off six consecutive victories and has won nine of their last 10 games. Husson looks to extend its season well beyond the NAC quarterfinals, which has been the Eagles’ exiting point each of the last three seasons.

UMF skiing receives Libra Grant

The University of Maine-Farmington has received a grant from the Libra Foundation to support development of an Alpine ski team.

UMF athletic director Julie Davis said the money will enable the school to expand its successful student-led program into a more competitive ski team.

“The program will be accessible to all levels of skiers and will allow us to recruit student-athletes from New England and beyond,” Davis said in a press release.

The Alpine ski program had been made possible through the support of the UMF student senate, the ski industries program and the efforts of volunteer coach Harry Ricker.

The Libra Foundation is a Maine organization that makes significant contributions to numerous initiatives throughout the state.

USM names basketball captains

Seniors Dawn Ross of Gray and Angela Santa Fe have been selected as co-captains for the University of Southern Maine women’s basketball team.

Ross played 30 games at guard, including seven starts, for the Huskies last season and is a four-year member of the program.

Santa Fe, who transferred to USM from Merrimack College in 2005, has worked her way into the starting lineup at forward.

Coach Gary Fifield’s Huskies open the season Nov. 17-18 at the UMaine-Farmington Tipoff Tournament.