WATERVILLE, Maine – The University of Maine at Farmington field hockey team was unable to keep pace with the high-powered Thomas College offense on Saturday afternoon, dropping a Central Maine Collegiate Field Hockey Conference (CMCFHC) contest, 9-3.
The Records:
Saturday's contest marked the end of the regular season for the Beavers, as Farmington fell to 3-14 overall and 0-4 in CMCFHC play. Thomas wrapped up its regular season with a 13-5 record and 3-1 mark in conference action.
How It Happened:
Thomas came out strong in the opening quarter, scoring three goals in the first six minutes and 22 seconds of play. Samantha Thebarge opened the scoring for the Terriers just 79 seconds into the game, slapping a shot into the lower left corner off a penalty corner insert from Macy Freeman.
Kara Richards then netted a pair of goals just three and a half minutes apart to give Thomas a 3-0 advantage. Richards' first goal came as she took the ball from the left end line and weaved through a swarm of Farmington defenders before firing a shot past the reach of senior goalkeeper Ella Grant (Sturbridge, Mass.). Her second tally came after she collected a loose ball on the goal line following a defensive save from Elizabeth Kendall (Guilford, Maine) and muscled a shot past Grant.
Farmington's defense settled in over the next 20 minutes, but Celia Stinson added a late goal in the final three minutes of the second quarter to make it 4-0 heading into halftime.
Richards recorded her hat trick just 38 seconds into the second half, extending the Terriers' lead to five. That goal kicked off a flurry where Thomas scored three times in two minutes and 47 seconds. Leah Knight scored off a penalty corner before Richards netted her fourth of the day to make it 7-0.
Farmington got on the board in the 36th minute when Autumn Freeman (Byron, Maine) made a terrific tip on a slap shot from Kendall, redirecting it into the cage.
Richards continued her dominant performance, scoring her fifth goal of the game in the 48th minute off a set penalty corner play assisted by Thebarge to make it 8-1.
Farmington responded with goals from Kendall and Mikayla Wilcox (Farmington, Maine). Kendall fired a shot into the back of the cage off a feed from Gabby Vincentsen (Bristol, Maine) in the 49th minute, and Wilcox followed with an unassisted goal to cut the deficit to 8-3. That was as close as the Beavers would get, as Thebarge added her second goal of the game to close out the scoring.
Stats of the Game:
- Shots: Thomas 28, Farmington 3
- Shots on Goal: Thomas 19, Farmington 3
- Penalty Corners: Thomas 16, Farmington 3
The Goalkeepers:
Grant and first-year Skylar Wilson (East Millinocket, Maine) split time in goal, each making four saves in 30 minutes of play. Eliya Drummond, Abbie Law, Mackenzie Toner, and Madi Ross combined for the win in net for Thomas.
Up Next:
The Beavers return to action on Friday in a CMCFHC semifinal contest on the road against Thomas College once again.
