BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The University of Maine at Farmington field hockey team battled hard against a high-powered Bridgewater State squad on Friday afternoon, scoring four goals but ultimately falling short defensively in a 10-4 non-conference loss.
How It Happened
In a fast-paced game that featured 14 total goals, the Bears struck first just 6:40 into the opening period. Crisp passing inside the circle set up Abbie Zuber, who sent a low shot into the cage to make it 1-0.
The score held until the second quarter when Ellie Moberg doubled Bridgewater State's lead, one-timing a pass from Kallie Rose at the 3:47 mark to put the hosts ahead 2-0.
The Beavers answered nine minutes later. First-year forward Ann Buffington (Enfield, N.H.) netted her first collegiate goal after a sequence that began with
Gabby Vincentsen (Bristol, Maine) driving up the right sideline and sending a cross into the circle. After Buffington was briefly dispossessed, the ball deflected to
Mikayla Wilcox (Farmington, Maine), who fed it back to Buffington for the finish, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
Bridgewater State regained momentum late in the half. Following a UMF turnover, Rose carried the ball along the end line and slid a pass across the goalmouth to Samantha Souza, who redirected it home to give the Bears a 3-1 lead heading into halftime.
The Bears carried that momentum into the third quarter, exploding for four goals in the opening minutes. Souza completed her hat trick with two tallies, while Rose and Zuber each added one to push the lead to 7-1 with 7:30 left in the period.
UMF responded shortly after. Senior forward Abby Hanson (South Paris, Maine) scored her first goal of the season on a setup from Vincentsen, who threaded a pass through the defense. Hanson beat Bridgewater goalkeeper Brianna Gagnon with a slick move before sliding the ball into the cage to make it 7-2.
A penalty stroke by Emelia Westwater restored the Bears' six-goal cushion at 8-2 heading into the fourth quarter.
Bridgewater added two more goals early in the final frame—Souza's fourth of the day and Moberg's second—just 17 seconds apart to stretch the lead to 10-2.
The Beavers fought back in the closing minutes with a pair of goals. Bayley Casavant (Corinth, Maine) buried a loose ball in front, assisted by Buffington and
Elizabeth Kendall (Guilford, Maine). Moments later, Wilcox added her own goal off another assist from Buffington, bringing the final score to 10-4.
Stats of the Game:
- Shots: BSU 18, UMF 15
- Shots on Goal: BSU 16, UMF 10
- Penalty Corners: BSU 9, UMF 12
The Goalkeepers:
For the Beavers Ella Grant (Sturbridge, Mass.) made 6 saves. Gagnon started and played the
first three periods making two saves. She was relieved by Aubrey Finn in the fourth quarter who made 4 saves.
UP NEXT
UMF will look to bounce back on Saturday when they face Anna Maria College. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m. in Paxton, Mass.
