University of Maine at Farmington

FARMINGTON, Maine - The University of Maine at Farmington field hockey team battled back from a two-goal deficit, but the University of Southern Maine pulled away in the fourth quarter to secure a 3-1 victory over the Beavers on Wednesday afternoon in Farmington.

Sophomore Ruby Taylor (Poland, Maine) scored Farmington's lone goal of the game, while senior goalkeeper Abigail Herlihy (Nashua, N.H.) turned aside seven shots in the second half.

How it Happened:

The Beavers and Huskies battled through a scoreless opening quarter as both teams struggled to find the back of the cage. Southern Maine generated three shots and four penalty corners during the opening 15 minutes, but junior goalkeeper Hailey Johnson (Augusta, Maine) turned aside all three shots on goal to keep the game scoreless.

Southern Maine broke through just six seconds into the second quarter as Allie Flagg scored her second goal of the season, with Izzy Folsom providing the assist. The Huskies carried the 1-0 advantage into halftime despite Farmington holding Southern Maine without another goal during the remainder of the half.

The Huskies doubled their lead in the closing seconds of the third quarter when Flagg struck again, scoring her second goal of the game at the 14:27 mark. Maddie Niles assisted on the goal as Southern Maine took a 2-0 advantage into the final quarter.

Farmington quickly answered in the fourth quarter as Taylor found the back of the cage at the 2:55 mark, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Mikayla Wilcox (Farmington, Maine) assisted on Taylor's second goal of the season, sliding a pass across the goal mouth, giving the Beavers momentum with more than 12 minutes remaining in regulation.

Southern Maine responded just under three minutes later as Mackenzie Hall scored her first goal of the season at the 5:42 mark, with Folsom picking up her second assist of the game to restore the Huskies' two-goal advantage.

The Beavers continued to battle in the closing minutes, but Southern Maine's defense held firm to secure the 3-1 victory.

Stats of the Game:

• Shots: Southern Maine 19, Farmington 2
• Shots on Goal: Southern Maine 15, Farmington 2
• Penalty Corners: Southern Maine 11, Farmington 2

The Goalkeepers:

Johnson got the start in net for Farmington, making five saves during the opening 30 minutes of action. Herlihy played the entire second half, turning aside seven shots.

Southern Maine used three goalkeepers in the victory. Haylee Romasco played the first and fourth quarters, while Ali Rosa and Allison Marines each saw 15 minutes of action. The trio combined for 12 saves.

UP NEXT

The Beavers will be back in action this Saturday at the NAC Preview Meet in Farmington.