GORHAM, Maine - The University of Southern Maine scored early and often on Saturday afternoon in a wire-to-wire victory over the University of Maine at Farmington in a non-conference women's lacrosse contest at Hannaford Field in Gorham.
The Records:
The Beavers dropped to 1-5 following the loss. USM moved to 4-2 after picking up the victory.
How it Happened:
The Huskies took command of the game early, controlling the draw circle, the possession battle, and the scoreboard. Katelyn D'Appolonia scored a pair of goals just two minutes apart in the early moments of the first quarter to stake the Huskies to an early 2-0 lead.
After a goal from Kiaya Gatchell, D'Appolonia scored three straight goals from the 4:55 mark of the first quarter through the 14:35 mark in the second quarter to extend USM's lead to six.
The Huskies continued to dominate play throughout the second quarter, getting two goals from Maddie Kinney, a goal from Lizzy Hallee, a goal from Elaina Hanselmann, and another one from D'Appolonia as the lead ballooned to 11-0 heading into halftime.
In the first half, the Huskies held a massive 31-3 advantage in shots and an 8-5 advantage in draw controls. When the Beavers were able to get a defensive stop, the pressure and pursuit of the ball by USM made life tough for Farmington, as they went 0-for-15 on clear attempts in the first half.
Gatchell found the back of the net in the early moments of the third quarter off a feed from D'Appolonia to open up a 12-goal advantage.
In the final minute of the third, Farmington was able to get on the scoreboard for the first time as junior attacker Ruby McMinis (Wells, Maine) scored for the 16th time this season.
McMinis found the back of the net once again with ten minutes left in the fourth quarter, this time on the man-advantage, to make it 12-2. Just a minute and 35 seconds later, senior midfielder Abby Trefsger (South Portland, Maine) scored unassisted as the Beaver offense started to find its groove.
Trefsger ripped a free position shot into the back of the net a minute and 11 seconds later, making it 12-4. Farmington kept the offensive pressure up, outshooting the Huskies 8-1 in the quarter. Senior midfielder Ashlee Farrar (South Portland, Maine) pulled the Beavers within seven when she scored her first goal of the season with 3:50 left in the game.
After digging an early hole, the Beavers were unable to climb all the way out, dropping their fifth game of the season.
Stats of the Game:
Overall for the game, the Huskies held a huge 44-14 advantage in shots over the Beavers. The Beavers ended up with a 10-8 advantage in draw controls. USM's 9-for-13 success rate in clears was far greater than Farmington's 5-for-27 success rate, as the Beavers turned the ball over 34 times compared to 21 for the Huskies.
Leaders - Farmington:
- McMinis and Trefsger led the way offensively, contributing two goals apiece. McMinis added two draw controls, while Trefsger had one draw control and one ground ball.
- Emma Dunn (Farmington, Maine) steadied the Beavers on the draw, recording a game-high seven draw controls.
- Farrar pitched in with a goal and two ground balls.
Leaders - USM:
- D'Appolonia scored six goals and added two assists to lead the offense for USM. She also added three draw controls and two ground balls.
- Gatchell pitched in with two goals and a game-high six ground balls.
- Kinney finished with two goals, an assist, and three ground balls.
The Goalies:
- Cotnoir was phenomenal in net all game long for the Beavers. She faced tremendous pressure throughout, making a career-high 21 saves while also recording five ground balls.
- Lydia Laslavic got the start in net and made three saves to pick up the victory. Cally Dow took over in the fourth quarter, making three saves.
UP NEXT
Farmington returns to action next Saturday in their North Atlantic Conference (NAC) opener on the road against Maine Maritime Academy.
