The University of Maine women’s softball team hosted in-state opponent Colby College on a single on April 17. The Black Bears won 5-0 that night. First-year infield Francesca Guerrera earned a 2-for-2 with three RBI, while third-year pitcher Alysen Reith threw a complete-game three-hitter. Maine now has a record of 8-29 overall and 26-3 all-time against Colby. 

Reith started out as pitcher and threw for all seven innings, allowing only three hits, striking out five and walking two. This is now her 10th complete game of the season. The Mules switched their pitcher three times throughout the match, starting with third-year pitcher KC DeSarno. They then switched in the third inning to third-year pitcher Kathrine Clay and lastly, first-year pitcher Sophia Meade in the fifth inning to finish off the game. 

The Mules were up to bat to start with in the first inning, and got a runner to second base before getting three strikes. At the bottom of the inning, Guerrera went up to bat first and got a walk after four balls from DeSarno. First-year outfield Abby Rhee made a hit which sent Guerrera to third, after second-year outfield Kiera Inman took a sacrifice fly to send Guerrera home, which gifted Maine the advantage of 1-0 going into the second inning. 

After zero runs and zero hits from Colby in the second inning, Maine achieved three runs home after first-year infield Bailey Snowberger and third-year infield Madison Hand got back-to-back singles until it eventually came around on a Guerrera double to right center. Inman made another sacrifice fly two batters later which made it 4-0 at the end of the second inning with one runner left on base. 

After an uneventful third inning with three strikeouts for the Mules and one hit but zero runs for the Black Bears, Guerrera singled through the left side, which sent first-year infield Eviana Robles home in the bottom of the fourth inning to make the score 5-0. Reith only faced three batters in each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings and closed the game in the seventh. 

Snowberger was 2-for-2 while scoring a run, meanwhile Rhee and Hand both tallied hits on the day. Hand also scored a run and Inman recorded two RBI.

The Black Bears will face UMass Lowell next weekend for a double header on Saturday, April 26.

The University of Maine women’s softball team hosted the University of Binghamton on April 11 and 12 for a three-game America East series at the Pierre and Catherine Labat Softball Complex. They played a double-header on Friday and the game on Saturday got cancelled due to weather conditions. The Black Bears dropped both games on Friday night 7-2 and 8-0. Before the games, Maine stood at 0-9 in conference and 7-27 overall.

Third-year pitcher Alysen Reith started the game for the Black Bears and threw all seven innings, making it her ninth complete game of the season and had nine strikeouts. She has thrown an America East-leading 100.1 innings and is tied for second in the conference with eight complete games and 85 strikeouts. 

In the first match, the Bearcats scored the first two runs of the game after second-year infielder Elisa Allen got a home run to get graduate utility Lindsey Walter to run home from third base. Reith got her first K of the night after the fourth hitter. First-year infielder Francesca Guerrero was first up to bat for Maine against third-year pitcher Brianna Roberts and was grounded out. Maine struck out the first inning, which resulted in no runs or bases. 

The Bearcats added one more in the second for a 3-0 lead through two at the end of the second inning. First-year infield Rachel Carey got a home run for the Bearcats at the start of the first inning. Allen then went up to bat and got to second base before a missed pass from Maine sent her and second-year utility Maddy Dodig home to make it 6-0 at the end of the third inning.

With a scoreless fourth and fifth inning, the Black Bears finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning with second-year outfield Kiera Inman’s home run, her third of the season. First-year infield Eviana Robles then singled home fourth-year outfield Kyra Haba-Dailey to the end of the inning. The Bearcats added one run in the top of the seventh to get a 7-2 final. 

Before the games, Maine was at 39-35-0 all-time against Binghamton, having 0-5 of the last five games and 1-9 inch the last 10 meetings. 

In Game 36, the first two innings were off to a slow start with scoreless frames. First-year Madison Simmerman started and threw 3.2 innings, while third-year pitcher Ava Zettlemoyer threw 3.2 innings in relief. Third-year pitcher Olivia Kennedy started for the Bearcats pitching. Binghamton got on the board first in the top of the third to take the lead from a home run by fourth-year outfielder Sarah Renee. The Bearcats continued this momentum and went on a four run streak in the fourth to push the lead to 5-0. 

After a scoreless fifth inning, Binghamton went on to add one run in the sixth. Maine had a threatening attack in the bottom of the sixth but had two runners stranded. Two more runs in the seventh for the Bearcats resulted in an 8-0 final. 

Up next, Maine faces Colby College on Thursday, April 17 at home at 5 p.m.

There is no doubt that the University of Maine men’s basketball team had a successful and historic 2024-25 season. From breaking records to gaining multiple accolades, the unforgettable season is one that made the community proud and revived the program. 

After finishing third in the America East Conference standings with a record of 20-14 overall and 10-6 in conference play, the team accomplished a home advantage playoff game for the first time in 30 years against UMass Lowell. The Pit had an electric environment filled with passion and the support of the fans who were excited to see UMaine basketball live again. The 72-64 win set up a matchup against the University of Vermont, the reigning America East tournament champion. Maine had a dominant 57-42 victory, which sent the Black Bears into their first America East Championship game in 21 years against Bryant University. Both teams battled hard to get a spot in the NCAA tournament, but the Bulldogs ended up getting the win in a 77-59 game. Although the final did not go in Maine’s favor, their season is one for the history books. 

 The season started off in North Carolina against Duke, one of the most well-known powerhouse schools in men’s basketball. Despite the loss, the out-of-conference competition and games set the tone for the season, as Maine had their best start to in-conference play in more than a decade, holding a record of 7-2. The momentum carried into January, where the team went on a six-game winning streak throughout the month, and became a threat in the standings. The Black Bears continued to fight the rest of the season, earning four more wins. The team ended with a total of 2,409 points, averaging 70.9 points per game.

After only three years of being the head coach, Chris Markwood led his team to 13 wins and a playoff berth, the most victories for the program in a season since 2010-11. He also coached and developed fourth-year guard Kellen Tynes, who was the first ever America East Defensive Player of the Year in program history, and continued to deservingly win this award for three straight years. Tynes was also named to the America East All-Conference Second Team as well as to the America East All-Defensive Team. At the end of the season, he had the second most steals per game of any player in the nation and posted career-highs across the board. Tynes was a key player for Maine and proof in Markwood’s mindset that good defense wins games. 

Another outstanding player for the Black Bears is fourth-year guard AJ Lopez, who also earned a spot on the America East All-Conference Second Team. Lopez was ranked in the top-10 in every scoring category for conference games and achieved a 91% shooting accuracy from the free-throw line, which was the seventh-highest in all of the NCAA. The National Basketball Coaches Association (NABC) named Tynes and Lopez to the NABC DI All-district Second Team for the North Atlantic District to add to their accolades. 

The 2024-25 men’s basketball season rejuvenated UMaine’s passion for the game. Their success created a stronger community that came together to cheer on and support the Black Bears. There is excitement and hope for what the future of UMaine men’s basketball can bring.

The University of Maine women’s basketball team started the America East playoffs strong by winning 65-51 in the quarter final game against the New Jersey Institute of Technology on March 6. The Black Bears are now 15-15 overall and 9-7 in America East play. The Black Bears will advance to the semifinals to face No.1 seed UAlbany. 

Third-year guard Asta Blauenfeldt finished the game with 9-of-14 from the floor with three triples, a pair of steals and a career-high of nine rebounds along with two assists. She led all scorers with 22 points. Graduate student guard Caroline Bornemann trailed behind her with 15 points by stretching her double-digit scoring streak to four in a row, five rebounds and a career-best of seven assists. 

The Black Bears started the first quarter on their front foot and scored the first five points of the game, which started from Bornemann’s pair of free throws. Third-year guard Alejandra Zuniga got the first two points for the Highlanders with a layup three minutes into the game. Blaunefeldt separated the score more and got the first three pointer of the night, making the score 10-4 for Maine with just under five minutes left. NJIT responded right after with a three pointer from first-year guard Olivia Kulyk, but Blauenfeldt maintained the lead and scored a three-pointer and driving layup within a minute. Second-year forward Caroline Dotsey ended the first quarter with a layup through contact and made her free throw to put the score in Maine’s favor, 18-10, going into the second quarter. 

The Black Bears came out flying after fourth-year guard Sera Hodgson made a three thirty seconds into the second quarter to give Maine their largest lead so far with an eleven-point difference of 21-10. Kulyk made an effort to close the gap with two layups and jump shot that made it a five point game. Blauenfeldt and Dotsey would not let that happen, quickly responding with back-to-back three pointers. In the last couple minutes of the quarter, Blauenfeldt and Bornemann were able to get on a fastbreak which ended a layup. Second-year guard Marissa Gingrich was able to get the last points of the quarter with a jumper that made the score 31-23 going into halftime. Maine was able to keep the lead for the entire quarter after NJIT matched them in scoring, 13-13.

Seconds into the third quarter, Blauenfeldt made a driving layup to start off strong and go back to a ten-point difference. The Highlanders kicked their game into gear and put together an 11-1 run that gave them their first lead of the game, 34-33. Zuniga began their streak with a jumper in the paint, a free throw and a layup within four minutes. Gingrich ended the run with two threes, one of them assisted by Kulyk. Maine kept calm, taking a timeout to regroup and reset in the heat of the game. With only two minutes left, Hodgson put the Bears back in the lead with a triple, and Bornemann came out with a layup that ended the quarter with Maine leading by three points, 38-35, before going into the last quarter. 

Maine continued to end and start each quarter with a lead, which third-year guard Sarah Talon extended with a three pointer 30 seconds into the last ten minutes of play. Maine fed off of this energy and went on a 7-0 run. This put the teams back at a ten-point difference with about eight minutes still remaining until the finish line. Fourth-year forward Trinity Williams broke Maine’s streak with two layups that continued to make it an exciting game. The chances of winning grew slimmer for the Highlanders as fourth-year guard Paula Gallego sank a three which gave the Black Bears their largest lead of the night at 60-45, with just under three minutes remaining. NJIT was not able to catch up as Maine continued to play confidently and with their eyes set on the semi finals. Hodgson secured two free throws to finish off the game at a 65-51 victory. 

The Black Bears will appear in the America East semifinal on Monday, March 10 to play at UAlbany at 6:30 p.m.

The University of Maine women’s basketball team overpowered the University of New Hampshire 62-48 in the classic border battle. This made head coach Amy Vachon hold the most wins of all-time in UMaine women’s basketball history, with this being her 168th victory. The victory also put the Black Bears at 8-6 in conference and 13-14 overall. 

Maine opened up the first quarter against the Wildcats with a three from third-year guard Asta Blauenfeldt just 30 seconds into the border battle. A minute later, she added to the score sheet with a layup to make it 5-0. Fourth-year guard Sera Hodgson made a 3-pointer that made the gap in score bigger. The Wildcats got their first points of the game from a jumper by second-year guard Eva DeChent four minutes in. Quickly after, Hodgson got her second three and fourth-year guard Paula Gallego got a driving bucket to get the score to an 11-point difference. The quarter ended with Blauenfeldt’s layup and DeChent’s split free throw that put the scoreboard at 16-6. 

As the game continued into the second quarter, the double-digit lead grew as Maine went off on a 10-0 run to grab its largest lead of the night and held the Wildcats scoreless for over six minutes. Five consecutive points came from second-year forward Caroline Dotsey, along with a layup from Hodgson. The largest lead of the night escalated to a 16-point difference after Gallego’s 3-pointer assisted by graduate guard Caroline Bornemann with just under a minute left. DeChent finally broke the no scoring spell with a jumper with just 30 seconds left in the game. Bornemann responded with a layup right away and entered halftime with a large leading score of 34-18.

The first two minutes of the third quarter went scoreless until fourth-year guard Kenzie Matulonis secured a 3-pointer for UNH. Bornemann got the first points for the Black Bears after a steal led to a driving layup. In return, DeChent stole the ball from Maine after anticipating the pass and was rewarded two free throws after being fouled. Five minutes into the second half, the Wildcats were able to close the gap to a seven point difference with the help of DeChent, who got up to 17 points total at the end of the third quarter. The Black Bears began to lose their rhythm and gave up a total of eight turnovers in just one quarter. The Wildcats took this opportunity to attack with full force and outscored Maine 18-7, with the closest gap of the night being a two-point difference with 17 seconds left in the quarter. Blauenfeldt sealed the end of the hard-fought 10 minutes with a 3-pointer that made the score 41-36 going into the final quarter.  

Maine gained their confidence back after Gallego completed a layup and Blauenfeldt drained another 3-pointer two minutes into the last 10 minutes of play, to put their lead back to double-digits. Graduate guard Sydney Lusher, in turn, made a 3 for the Wildcats that made the score 46-40, trying to fight their way back into the game. They were unable to do so, as the Black Bears responded right away with an 8-2 run, with graduate guard Olivia Rockwood’s 3-pointer that made the game a 12-point difference with a little over 3 minutes left to play. Dechent got up to 22 points for the night after completing two layups and a pair of free throws, but it wasn’t enough. Maine was able to secure the lead for the rest of the night, never dropping below a nine-point difference. The game finished with a split free throw from Blauenfeldt, who finished the game with 18 points. Bornemann also posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in Maine’s 62-48 victory.

The Black Bears will conclude the regular season on Saturday, March 1 as they travel to face Bryant at 2 p.m.

The University of Maine men’s basketball team fell to Vermont on alumni day in a close battle of 65-51 on Feb. 15. The Black Bears came into the game 16-9 overall and 8-2 in America East play, the most wins since their 2010 to 2011 season. 

Although the Catamounts had won the last 30-consecutive meetups with the Black Bears, Maine felt confident going into the game, having their best conference start in over 15 years. Furthermore, fourth-year guard AJ Lopez was announced as America East player of the week. 

In the first half, third-year forward Keelan Steele got Maine on the scoreboard 15 seconds in with a layup, assisted by Lopez. Fourth-year guard Quion Burns added another layup to the scoreboard before the Catamounts got a three-pointer by graduate forward Nick Fiorillo. Five minutes into the contest, Vermont got the first free throws of the game, where third-year guard TJ Hurley made all three, putting the score at 11-4 for the Catamounts. In response, third-year forward Killian Gribben got the first dunk of the game assisted by graduate guard Kellen Tynes for Maine to close the gap of the scoreboard. Two minutes later, Tynes scored a three-pointer which got him to five points ten minutes into the game. 

For the next five minutes of the first half, Maine lost their rhythm and shut down defensively, which made them fall behind by 15 points and put the Catamounts at a comfortable lead of 28-13 with about six minutes left of play. Maine slowly chipped away at the score difference for the next six minutes, full of hope that they could win the game. A crucial steal from third-year guard Jaden Clayton led to Maine scoring their second three-pointer of the night off a step back by Burns assisted by Lopez to end the half 28-22 for Vermont. Maine went into the second half with 15 rebounds and 14 points in the paint. 

The atmosphere of The Pit going into the last 20 minutes of the game was full of energy and passion to get the Black Bears going. In the first 10 seconds, Vermont got on the scoreboard first and pushed the lead with a layup from fourth-year forward Ileri Ayo-Faleye and a split free throw from Hurley. It took a while for Maine to get on the scoreboard. Tynes got a driving layup five minutes into the game to make it 36-24. Still, the Catamounts were able to make it a game-high difference of 16 points with nearly fifteen minutes left of play. Seconds later, Burns and fourth-year forward Christopher Mantis got back-to-back three-pointers to get the team going and hoped to put the Bears back in the game. 

Maine recovered their offensive rhythm, which closed the score to 44-35 with 10 minutes remaining. Burns and Lopez were once again able to find the bucket with three pointers. With an exciting four minutes left, the eight-point game turned into a five-point game where Maine could manage to make a comeback. The Black Bears were unable to come out with any points as Vermont took the victory of 65-61. 

Tynes finished the game with 19 points and Burns was one rebound short of a double-double as he had 16 points and nine rebounds.

This game concluded Maine’s three-game home stretch, as their next match will be on the road against UAlbany on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 6:30 p.m.

The University of Maine Women’s Basketball team lost 61-56 at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) on Feb. 6, which ended its five-game winning streak. The team travelled to the Wellness and Events Center in Newark to begin their three-straight on the road with an overall record of 12-10 and 7-2 in America East play.  

One of Maine’s keys to the game was to limit the third-year guard, Alejandra Zuniga. The team failed to do so, as she opened up the scoreboard with a 3-pointer just under a minute in. This seemed to throw the Bears off. They couldn’t keep the ball on either side of the court and accumulated six turnovers in the first quarter. Fourth-year guard Sera Hodgson stepped up for her team and scored a 3-pointer assisted by graduate student Caroline Borneman to put the Black Bears on the scoreboard and tie the game. 

Maine took the first lead of the night from a triple by Hodgson and a layup from Borneman after she dribbled with speed through a pair of defenders. Borneman added onto the score by making two more layups for it to be 9-7 with five minutes remaining. The teams traded the lead five more times, making it a nailbiter of a quarter. The Highlanders got the advantage going into the second quarter with a last minute pair of free throws that second-year guard Marissa Gingrich easily made to make the score 18-16.  

Throughout the second quarter, neither team was able to safely secure the lead as both traded a two–point lead for the next ten minutes. In the first minute, Borneman was able to tie the score from a layup in the paint. Once again, the Highlanders respond quickly and tie the game. Maine gets their first free throws of the game with four minutes left, Borneman making both and putting her at 12 points in the game so far. The second quarter ended in a back-and-forth ten minutes where the game had been tied 11 times with 8 lead changes. NJIT was able to sneak the lead to start the third quarter at 28-25. 

As a repeat of the first quarter, Hodgson opened up with a 3-pointer assisted by fourth-year guard Paula Gallego to close the score between the teams. The Highlanders were then able to grow their lead to a five-point difference with four minutes left. Maine responded quickly by going on an 8-2 run, every point coming in from second-year forward Caroline Dotsey, beginning with a triple. After a 3-pointer from Enya Maguire on NJIT, Dotsey added another three and a layup for Maine with just under two minutes under the clock to give the Bears a one-point lead. NJIT was able to end the quarter on a 6-2 run and once again lead the scoreboard 43-40 going into the last quarter of the game. 

The Highlanders opened the fourth quarter with an 8-3 run to take the largest lead of the game of 8 points, 51-43, with 6:34 minutes left to play. Maine slowly chipped its way of working to get back into the game with the help of five consecutive points from Gallego to bring Maine back to a three-point difference in the scoreboard. Borneman also helped the team, posting 22 points by the end of the game. Zuniga was instrumental in her team taking the lead again, as she totaled at game-high 26 points by the end of the night, 9 of them being in the fourth quarter. Maine was unable to narrow the gap as the Highlanders escaped with the victory, 61-56.

The Black Bears will play their next game at the University of Vermont on Feb. 15 at 4 p.m.

On Jan. 30, the University of Maine’s women’s basketball team earned another victory against the University of New Hampshire, 65-54. Second-year forward Caroline Dotsey’s career high of 30 points helped Maine achieve their ninth win in a row over the Wildcats, and added to their four game winning streak. The team travelled to Lundholm Gym with an overall record of 10-10 and 5-2 in America East play after a well-deserved win against UMass Lowell on Jan. 23. 

The game started off in the Wildcat’s favor as they got an early steal and got on the scoreboard. Moments later, Maine bounced back with the help of a three-pointer from fifth-year guard Olivia Rockwood, assisted by junior guard Asta Blauenfeldt. Once Maine got momentum from this play, layups started to trickle in from Dotsey, fourth-year guard Paula Gallego and Blauenfeldt making the score grow to 11-4 just over five minutes into the first quarter. 

UNH slowly attempted to fight back as second-year guard Eva Dechent scored a three assisted by first-year forward Clara Gomez. It was not enough as the first quarter ended 17-11 for Maine with help from Dotsey’s 10 points in 10 minutes and hitting 8-of-12 from the floor. 

The second quarter consisted of a back-and-forth exciting 10 minutes, each team trading the lead five times in three minutes. The Wildcats were able to close in the score and get up early with a free throw from Dechent and a jumper from Gomez. Dotsey, in return, netted two 3’s to gain back the lead, holding 23 of Maine’s 35 points in the second quarter. The Black Bears would take the five point advantage as the half finished at 35-30.

In the third quarter, Maine kept the lead by obtaining a strong offence and solid defence. Fourth-year guard Sera Hodgson opened the scoreboard, scoring both free throws with ease. Maine took a double-digit lead, 55-45, with buckets from fifth-year guard Caroline Bornemann and Dotsey to lengthen the lead. Dechent tried to fight for the Wildcats and keep them in the game, earning 29 points. The quarter concluded at 55-47, once again giving Maine the advantage for the final quarter. 

Going into the last quarter, Gallego’s triple began an 8-0 run, giving Maine the largest lead of the night, 65-48 with just under two minutes left of play. The Black Bears held the lead at the home stretch of the game, ending the score as 65-54 and moving to 6-2 in America East play. 

Dotsey finished the night 11-for-20 with a pair of triples and a 6-for-8 showing from the free throw stripe. Bornemann and Blauenfeldt each contributed eight points for the deserved win, and Maine’s defense forced 13 turnovers, constricting UNH to only 16-of-54 from the floor. 

The Black Bears return to play on Thursday, Feb. 6, to face the NJIT Highlanders Vermont at the Pit in Memorial Gym at 6 p.m.

On Dec. 6, the University of Maine women’s ice hockey team lost to No. 13 Boston University at Alford Arena. The teams played in Boston on Oct. 18 and 19 with the Terriers earning victories both nights by tight scores of 2-1 and 2-0. Maine looked to respond after being swept against No. 1 Wisconsin, and are hoping to change the losses into a win tonight.

Right off of the first whistle, both teams showed how badly they wanted to get the advantage in the first period with a goal, but neither succeeded. The Black Bears won the majority of their battles and were first to most of the loose pucks. Their hard work rewarded many attacking opportunities, one shot even hitting off of the post early in the match. The back-and-forth period had the fans on the edge of their seats. The goalless first period wrapped up in an even 12 shots on target for each team, proving how equal and even the first 20 minutes were. 

Once the second period had gone underway, Maine came close to scoring from a firing shot by second-year forward Lila Shea that went an inch wide. As the play went on, it continued to be an intense and close battle between the Terriers and the Black Bears. BU managed to break the no-goal spell first on a power play advantage. A scramble in the box resulted in graduate student defender Tamara Giaquinto getting to the puck first to cleanly put it in the back of the net 11 minutes and 38 seconds into the play.

Maine doesn’t let this get them down as they persistently swarm BU’s zone with their attack. It pays off a couple minutes later, as the puck gets slotted into the net from first-year defender Kendall Sundby to end the second period 1 to 1. Either team could take the win in the last 20 minutes of the game. 

In the first five minutes of the third and most crucial period, the offense on both teams showed promise in their attack. It’s the Terriers who end up capitalizing on their opportunity to sneak in a game-winning goal just under the halfway mark by third-year forward Riley Walsh.

With 10 minutes left and Maine desperate to tie the game, they pulled the first-year goalie, Kiia Lahtinen, for an extra attacker. This strategy didn’t work in their favor as BU managed to find the empty net on a breakaway to seal the win from graduate student forward Lindsay Bochna with two minutes left in the game. Lahtinen ended up making 35 saves for the Black Bears. 

Next up, Maine is set to host No. 15, the University of Connecticut on Dec. 7 back at Alford Arena at 7 p.m. This will be their first matchup of the season against the Huskies, the overall series being 29-14-5 in favor of UConn.

From Nov. 13-16, I had the amazing opportunity to be a part of a rare experience, which was going to the NCAA tournament as a part of the University of Maine women’s soccer team. After winning the America East Championship and securing a spot in the tournament, we gathered anxiously the next day to see who we would be competing against, and ended up drawing the fifth-seeded University of Wisconsin (UW) for the first round of the tournament. 

This called for a quick turnaround for the trip to Madison, leaving a day after we drew them. There was a thoughtful send-off from the other athletic teams and President of the University Joan Ferrini-Mundy. This gave us a new sense of purpose because we didn’t want to do our best only for each other, but also for all of the teams, families and people that supported us along the way, cheering us on at every game. 

Our bus rolled onto the tarmac at the airport, revealing a chartered plane all to ourselves. Jaws dropped, eyes wide open and screams inside the bus from 29 girls happened all at once. We were all thankful that we didn’t have three layovers or have to drag the overweight duffel bags and equipment through security. It was the only time I wasn’t stressed at the airport, and the easiest three-hour flight I’ve ever been on. 

Without difficulty, we arrived at the gorgeous hotel with a view over Lake Mendota, and right across from the Wisconsin State Capitol Building. I was eager to explore this new place that no one on the team had been to either. I took the time to wander the streets of Madison and walk around the sizable UW campus, which may be more than 10 times the size of UMaine in population and size. It was surreal to be at a campus like UW and have the time to walk around and take it all in.

The day before the game, we had a meeting before our morning practice to discuss the scouting report and keys to the game, which the coaches implemented into our training session. After our ritual pre-game practice, everyone spent the rest of the day at their own pace – exploring more of Madison, getting a better feel of the game field or in most people’s cases, stuck inside doing homework and watching lectures from all the classes we’d be missing. At the end of the day, we went out to dinner, which is always my favorite part on team trips because we come together and share stories from our day or week and have a laugh. It’s a time to take our minds off of the big game for a minute and enjoy each other’s company. 

Finally on Friday Nov. 15, the day arrived for us to play the Badgers at the McClimon Soccer Complex. The game wasn’t until 7 p.m. I spent most of the day anxiously waiting for kickoff. We walked the field once again as a team in the morning, and Coach gave us a motivating and heartfelt talk at center field. He made it clear that he loved us all and to not let the “big-name” school intimidate us because we not only deserved to be where we were, we were meant to be there. I think this moment of just us on the field calmed a lot of nerves because we knew our coach was proud of us and how far we came no matter what happens. 

We arrived at the pitch two hours before game time. Our locker room was a small tent with no lights, heat or a bathroom. Still, the team’s energy was high with excitement and nerves heading into the game. We took the five minutes we had before the game to huddle together and take a deep breath, solidifying that we will fight for each other on the field tonight, and give it everything we have because of how far we fought to get to this point, this game, this moment. 

The whistle blew for kickoff, and just four minutes later, we were down 2-0. It was a hard battle the first half, but we came out flying early in the second half to make it 2-1 from a goal by our fourth-year midfielder and captain Lara Kirkby. We had hope again after the brutal four minutes in the first half, but it was quickly diminished as a third goal was scored late into the second half, ending the game as 3-1. 

We gave it everything we had and left our heart on the field. It was an emotional and teary ending to an amazing record-breaking season. For most girls, that was their last collegiate soccer game, and their final game wearing the Maine jersey with pride. And for the rest of us, we will be losing sisters that gave everything to this program and created a legacy that we will carry on in honor of them.