JOHNSON, Vermont – The University of Maine at Farmington women's soccer team battled back from an early 1-0 deficit to tie the game in the first half, then converted all four of its penalty kick attempts to advance to the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) semifinals on Saturday against Lesley University.
How It Happened
The Beavers surrendered an early goal, falling behind 1-0 in just the eighth minute. After a Farmington corner kick and a shot that went off target, the Badgers quickly countered. Quick passing through the midfield between Olivia Davis and Elizabeth Love helped Johnson move the ball up the field. The sequence ended with Jenna Jones slotting a shot into the lower left corner past the diving Farmington senior goalkeeper Paige Gonya (Sabattus, Maine).
Following the early marker, the Beavers largely controlled play for the remainder of regulation and both overtime periods.
Farmington evened the score in the 33rd minute. Junior forward Emma Dunn (Farmington, Maine) created the opportunity, dribbling down the right side and challenging the Badger back line. As Dunn made a move toward goal, she was taken down just outside the penalty area, setting up a free kick from about 20 yards out. Senior midfielder Grace Dwyer (Manchester, Maine) took the kick and bent a right-footed shot around the Johnson wall, tucking it into the back of the net to make it 1-1.
As the game remained tied entering the second half, Farmington continued to press, but a well-organized Johnson defense made scoring difficult. The Beavers recorded 11 shots in the second half alone, including eight on target, but Badger goalkeeper Isabel Atkisson turned away each attempt to keep the game level.
Farmington nearly found the game-winner twice in the final ten minutes. The first chance came once again through Dunn, who carried the ball along the right wing, beat a defender, and drove along the endline. She managed to get a shot off in front of the net, but it struck the post before being cleared off the goal line. The rebound fell to Kyri Meak (Winslow, Maine), whose follow-up attempt was also cleared away to preserve the tie.
In overtime, Farmington outshot Johnson 7-2 but continued to be denied in its quest for the winning goal.
When the game moved to a shootout, the Beavers turned to Liana Sawyer (Londonderry, N.H.) in goal. Sawyer was outstanding, making two crucial saves on Johnson's three attempts to lift Farmington to the penalty-kick victory.
For the Beavers, Rita Benoit (Hallowell, Maine), Dwyer, Natalie Tracy (Oakland, Maine), and Meak each converted their attempts to send Farmington to the NAC semifinals for the first time since the 2019 season.
Stats of the Game
- Shots: Farmington 28, Johnson 9
- Shots on Goal: Farmington 16, Johnson 6
- Corner Kicks: Farmington 8, Johnson 2
The Goalkeepers
Gonya had a strong performance in net for the Beavers, recording five saves, while Sawyer made two critical stops in the shootout. Atkisson was impressive for the Badgers, finishing with 12 saves.
Up Next
The Beavers will travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to take on top-seeded Lesley University on Saturday afternoon. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m.
