Statistics
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BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Second-half goals from
Ava Wolverton and
Kate Kelso, along with seven saves by
Riley Curtin, propelled the University of New England field hockey team past the University of Southern Maine, 2-1, in the first outing of the 2026 campaign on Tuesday evening (Sep. 1) at Blue Bolt Field.
The rookie goalkeeper in Curtin had four stops during the opening 30 minutes to help keep things scoreless, and
Ella Reeves contributed a 26th-minute defensive save, reaching back to pull a trickling attempt off of the line. Shots were 8-1 in favor of the visitors before halftime.
The Huskies were denied on another chance early in the 3rd quarter, but then the Nor'easters (1-0) began to tilt the field in the opposite direction. Six shots and two penalty corners later, and the hosts had the all-important first strike in the 42nd minute.
Ayla Lagasse fed
Riley Zielinski out wide right for a low-angle try that USM goalie Allison Marines just nudged off-target, but the rebound continued spinning into the crease for Wolverton to bash into the cage.
UNE made it 2-0 in the 49th minute on a sequence that started with a quick restart by Lagasse just outside the left edge of the circle. Lagasse tipped it ahead to
Isabel Culver, who turned a centering towards Kelso for a deft redirection through the five-hole and some needed insurance.
Southern Maine responded with a handful of looks, and got one back with 1:41 to go off a right-side drive by Bri Townsend on a corner play. But the Nor'easters were able to pin possession down in the USM end to run out the clock for their fourth straight triumph versus the Huskies.
"It was a hard-fought win," said UNE head coach Danielle Collins. "We still have some things to work on, but we put some goals in the cage, the team battled until the end, and ultimately found a way to just get the W. We look forward to hosting MIT on Saturday."
The final tally in penalty corners favored USM by an 8-2 spread, and total shots were 15-8.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology will be in Biddeford this weekend for a 1 p.m. contest.
