FARMINGTON, Maine - The University of Maine at Farmington men's soccer team and the visiting Fisher College Falcons battled to a 3-3 tie on Sunday afternoon in a highly competitive, back-and-forth contest. Sunday's game served as Senior Day for the Beavers.
Senior Spotlight:
Prior to the start of the game, the men's soccer team had the opportunity to recognize and appreciate the contributions of their three seniors: Zach Chaisson (Scarborough, Maine), William Dowse (Sherborn, Mass.), and Caleb Kolman, alongside their families. They were celebrated for the lasting impact they have made on the University of Maine at Farmington men's soccer program.
The Records:
Following the tie, the Beavers' record now sits at 5-5-3, while the Falcons are at 4-5-3 this season.
How It Happened:
The Beavers got the scoring started early as Mohamed Adow (Auburn, Maine) was taken down in the box, setting up a penalty kick for Chaisson. Chaisson took a stutter step before firing a shot into the right corner of the net, giving the Beavers an early 1-0 lead.
The Beavers' lead did not last long, as Drake Hampton scored his first of three goals just three minutes after Chaisson's penalty kick. Leonardo Di Biase attempted a shot from around 30 yards out that he mis-hit. Simultaneously, Di Biase's shot attempt found Hampton making a diagonal run into the box. Hampton redirected the ball into the back of the net just as sophomore goalkeeper Jackson Leach (Farmingdale, Maine) was shifting to his left to make a save on Di Biase's attempt.
Hampton struck again just nine and a half minutes later, giving the Falcons their first lead of the game. Hampton sprang free inside the penalty area, and Hugo Rodriguez sent a through ball past the Beavers' backline. Hampton slid a shot into the side netting.
The Beavers knotted the game up in the 41st minute as first-year Jackson Landry (Gorham, Maine) scored his second goal of the season. Adow lofted a high cross from the right corner that found an unmarked Landry waiting at the back post, who headed the cross into the net to make it a 2-2 game.
Less than a minute after Landry tied the game, Hampton tallied his hat trick goal to reclaim the lead for the Falcons. Rodriguez sent a long ball over the top of the Beavers' defense, allowing Hampton to run onto it. Leach came off his line to close down the angle, but Hampton snuck a shot past him to give Fisher the lead heading into halftime.
Abdilahi Abdi (Lewiston, Maine) tied the game at three just minutes into the second half. A free kick taken by Dowse was sent into the box, getting through several leaping players and landing at the feet of Abdi, who fired a shot into the back of the net for his second goal of the year.
Both teams frantically looked for the go-ahead goal, but neither team was able to break the stalemate. Fisher had the best opportunity to do so in the 71st minute when Di Biase had a shot get past Leach, but Owen Dakin (Windham, Maine) made a phenomenal defensive effort, clearing the ball off the goal line to preserve the tie.
Team Stats:
Fisher held advantages in shots (29-13), shots on goal (14-8), and corner kicks (5-4).
The Goalkeepers:
Leach was outstanding in net, finding his groove in the second half to help keep the game tied for Farmington. He made ten saves and had numerous interceptions and disruptions of crosses. Andrea Ferri made four saves in the tie for Fisher.
UP NEXT:
The Beavers will resume conference play on Wednesday afternoon when they host Husson University in a critical North Atlantic Conference (NAC) contest at Leib Field. Game time is set for 3:30 PM.
