The University of Maine women’s soccer team defeated its rival, the University of New Hampshire, to win a second-consecutive America East Championship. The Bears dominated with a 3-0 victory on Nov. 10 at the Mahaney Diamond in Orono.

Three minutes into the game, third-year forward Jordane Pinette put Maine on the scoreboard by striking a loose ball at the top of the 18-yard box into the back of the net. Eight minutes later, fourth-year forward Abby Kraemer increased the lead by perfectly timing her run into the box to finish off a cross from graduate student forward Kayla Kraemer. 

The Black Bears continued to press the Wildcats relentlessly, and controlled the pace of play. The third and final goal occurred in the 68th minute from fourth-year midfielder Lara Kirkby, a rocketed volley from the top of the box that no goalkeeper could have saved. 

“It’s very fulfilling,” said Scott Atherley, head coach of the women’s soccer team. “Each championship was very different. This group has really translated a lot of their experience. We got everyone’s best, and that’s what makes this one really special, and we’re looking forward to that continuing.” 

Kirkby, Abby Kraemer, fourth-year defender Myla Schneider and graduate student defender Emma Schneider were named to the All-Tournament Team. Myla Schneider earned recognition as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Kirkby won the Elite 18 Award for having the highest GPA out of all the student-athletes competing in the championship.

With the championship victory, Maine is now 13-1-3 overall on the season, the most wins for the program since going 14-4-2 in 2006, and they will have a chance to play for another 14th season win.

Now that the Black Bears won the America East Championship, they were granted an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. In the bracket, Maine was drawn to play and travel to the University of Wisconsin, as announced by the NCAA selection committee on Nov 11. They will face the fifth-seeded Badgers in the first round of the tournament on Nov. 15 at the McClimon Track and Soccer Complex.

When asked what the preparations and tactics were going into the match against the Badgers, Atherley explained that he wants his team to stick to how they have been playing and ignore the outside noise. 

“I think for our players, it’s a matter of them putting the focus on us and doing what we do well and imposing our style, our will, on the game, and just keeping it simple,” said Coach Atherley.

In the 2023 tournament, Maine fell to Harvard in round one of the team’s first-ever NCAA tournament appearances. In 2024, the Black Bears have made it clear that they want to win, setting focus to a new goal: to play their style of game against Wisconsin. The players have faith in themselves and each other, giving them the ability to go far in this tournament.

The University of Maine women’s soccer team closed out the America East regular season by defeating rival University of New Hampshire (UNH) on Oct. 31. The 1-0 win secured them the No.1 seed in the America East Championship playoffs and earned them their first-ever regular season title in program history. 

Although Maine had not beaten the Wildcats since 2018, the team was calm as they stepped into the highly intense and energetic atmosphere of the match, confident that they could get a victory.

The game’s only goal was achieved in the 24th minute after graduate student midfielder Kristina Kelly drew a penalty kick for the Black Bears. Fourth-year forward Abby Kraemer effortlessly slotted the ball in the bottom right corner to score the game’s lone goal.

“Scoring on UNH is not an easy thing to do and I had never done it before myself,” said Kraemer. “These games are always close so every opportunity on net is so important, so I was super happy to put that one away for the team.” 

Kraemer, Kelly and fourth-year defender and captain Myla Schneider have all earned accolades to the America East First-Team. Along with these talented players, third-year forward Jordanne Pinette, fourth-year midfielder Lara Kirkby, fourth-year defender Anna Phillips and graduate student defender Emma Schneider have received second-team honors.

Along with the all-conference honors, Kraemer, Kirkby and Schneider also earned America East All-Academic honors. The seven All-Conference and three All-Academic selections were league highs in America East, as Maine excelled both on and off the field as student athletes.

The Black Bears close out the America East regular season with an undefeated record of 7-0-1 and 22 points. 

Associate Head Coach Liis Abbott is ecstatic for the team to finally achieve this title. 

”I think it’s great for the girls to get it because they work so hard for it and they really deserve it,” Abbott said, “I think it’s a great stepping stone for the next step which is semi-finals, and hopefully finals.” 

The UMaine soccer team made it clear that they are not satisfied with just the regular season title. They are hungry for more and doing everything they can to prepare for the playoffs.

“We are going to prepare like we have been so far and take a look at the UNH game so that we can be better than our last game,” Abbott said, when asked about the tactics going into the next match. “The cool thing is, I think our team always plays better when there’s something on the line. I’m really excited for them to show their best since the circumstances will require that.” 

Maine will be hosting the America East Championship semi-final game at Mahaney Diamond on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. against the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The winner will advance to the championship match on Sunday Nov. 10.

After a long stretch of away games ending with a win against the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, The University of Maine women’s soccer team returns home this weekend to host the University of Albany on Sunday Oct. 20.

Maine now sits at a record of 9-1-2 overall and 5-0 in America East play after achieving a 2-1 win on the road in Baltimore Sunday Oct. 13. Graduate student midfielder Kristina Kelly and second-year midfielder Abbey Thornton scored the two goals to secure the win, with Thornton scoring the game winner with six seconds left in the first half from a floating cross lofted in by Graduate student Teagan Morrison. Head Coach Scott Atherley mentioned that this goal is a prime example of how this team will never be complacent and will always fight until the last second to make their mark. 

Once the final whistle blew after 90 minutes, Maine was affirmed to have clinched a spot in the playoffs, where only the top six teams in the conference make it. 

Thornton scored her second goal of the season and her first career game-winning goal, while second-year defender Luise Reinwald and third-year defender Rebecca Grisdale both achieved their first points of the season with assists in the match. While Maine dominated the game with a 17-5 advantage in shots, Atherley still doesn’t think his team played their best game of the season yet, as there is still more left in the tank.  

The Black Bears are now focused on their next game against the Albany Great Danes on Sunday, Oct. 20 at the Mahaney Diamond in Orono, Maine. 

UAlbany will attend this game at 3-10-1 overall and 2-3-1 in conference play. Their previous game was on Thursday Oct. 17 at the University of Vermont, where they fell short in a 3-0 defeat. The Great Danes are currently eighth in the standings with four points, and Maine now has 15 points, finally breaking the tie of first place with New Hampshire, who sits at second place with 12 points.

In previous matches with UAlbany, Maine holds a record of 12-10-2 in the series, earning a 3-0 win last season on the road. Goals were scored by Reinwald, fourth-year forward Abby Kraemer and graduate student forward Kayla Kraemer.

The Black Bears are determined to get their sixth conference win and to keep the America East record for the longest home-game unbeaten streak. After their win against UMass Lowell on Oct. 3, Maine now sits at 23 games undefeated on their home pitch, the beautiful Mahaney Diamond.  

Another record was set by the soccer team, who tied a program record with seven consecutive wins. They also have started conference play 5-0 for the first time since 2004. Additionally, Maine is the first America East team to begin conference play with five consecutive wins since Boston University and Hartford in 2012.

With only three games left in conference play, Maine is ready to finish strong and battle hard in the final stretch of games that are left with their desire and hunger to have their best performance.

Club pickleball is now available at the University of Maine. They meet by the tennis courts near the New Balance Recreation Center, Mondays and Wednesdays at 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Established by third-year student Aidan Gorneau, this sports club is meant for students to socialize and have fun through pickleball.

Gorneau is ecstatic in welcoming students to join this club, even if it’s a casual drop-in to play with friends. His passion for the game is evident in practices, always keeping the energy high and positive, which makes more and more students come every week. 

“People will come, go and play,” Gorneau said. “It’s pretty casual but we’re starting to implement more practice and drilling, strategy and technique.” 

A lot of effort and planning went into making this club official. This included going to the sports club committee and to the student government to get approval from the university which allows them to get funding. With a lot of advice and conversations with the old sports club director, they were able to make the club official. 

For those who are more competitive and serious, there are a few tournaments a year that the team participates in. For example, in two weeks, they are making the journey to Daytona Beach for the National Collegiate Pickleball Association regional tournament. They make sure to focus on preparation and training sessions for these tournaments.

If you happen to stumble upon a pickleball court, you will notice that it looks like a smaller version of a tennis court, with a lower net. Although it might appear this way, pickleball is one of the few sports where you don’t have to be the most gifted athlete to play and enjoy, as it is a slower sport. Compared to tennis, pickleball can be picked up and learned at a reasonable level by anyone, which is why it is a versatile and inclusive sport for all ages and athletic abilities. 

As many people know, pickleball is known for being easily accessible to senior citizens, and it is common to think that they are the majority age group that play this sport. Although this was the case when it first started, it is now being played and picked up by all age groups and gaining more popularity with younger generations. 

“College aged people are playing,” Gorneau said. “It’s actually the highest demographic of people playing pickleball right now is our age group. It’s becoming more popular and more competitive.” 

There are multiple benefits to pickleball, such as better agility, improving balance and hand-eye coordination, as well as boosting one’s mood and overall mental health. It is also a great way to interact with new people as the game is well-known for being a social sport. Most importantly, pickleball helps you stay sharp, as it requires quick reflections and split-second decisions, which improves cognitive function and memory recall. 

Before Gorneau graduates, he is hoping to get new and better facilities, starting with permanent lines on the court. He hopes they can get better funding to improve the club and to constantly be improving to make pickleball enjoyable for everyone. With new members joining every week, there are high hopes that the pickleball club will help students build social connections, learn new skills and have fun.

The full interview with pickleball club co-president Aidan Gorneau is available to watch here, on YouTube.

Hockey season is finally back in Orono, as the University of Maine women’s ice hockey team hosted their first game of the season against Quinnipiac University on Sept. 27. Alfond Arena was buzzing as the crowd of roughly 600 fans enthusiastically welcomed the Black Bears. This marks the first game in UMaine women’s hockey history where fans paid to attend a game.

Compared to an average crowd of 345 people at last year’s games, women’s ice hockey is showing that there are improvements and more recognition towards women’s sports at UMaine.

The Bobcats proved to be deservingly ranked as 10th in the country, and showed that they could make it to the NCAA tournament for the third time in a row by beating Maine 7-0. This now makes Quinnipiac 8-0-1 in the last nine meetups with Maine. 

In the first period, the teams started off energetic and on the front foot, attacking aggressively and with purpose. Quinnipiac opened up the first ten minutes, flooding the Black Bears’ net with 12 shots and majority of the possession and putting Maine’s second-year goalie, Julia Bachetti, to the test. The Bobcats scored just seven minutes into the game off of a tap-in by fourth-year forward Maya Labad. 

Slowly, Maine’s shots on goal started trickling in, but not enough to put the puck in the back of the net. With just two minutes left, the Bobcats scored once more from a high shot by the first-year defenseman Makayla Watson to conclude the first period.

As play resumed in the second period, Maine responded positively and came out flying despite being down 2-0. They had a new desire to close the gap in goals and created a few chances with six shots in under five minutes. Bobcat fifth-year goalie Kaley Doyle responded, making impressive saves. Although Maine showed promising momentum, it quickly turned against them as the Bobcats found the back of the net for the third time, nine minutes into the second period. The loose puck bounced out from the corner of the crease, and first-year Bryn Prier saw the gift to slot the puck in the net from just outside the crease. Two more goals from the Bobcats were added from forwards Sophie Urban and Kathryn Stockdale about two minutes apart at the end of the second period.

Quinnipiac continued their dominance in the third period. Labad scored her second goal of the game early in the third period and second-year Kahlen Lamarche also added to the score sheet. Maine still fought hard and created an exciting late chance and attempt, but Doyle stood her ground and would not let anything get past her, earning a shutout.

Maine finished the game with 20 shots compared to Quinnipiac’s 32. Doyle ended up making 20 saves while Bachetti made 25. 

Although the game was not in Maine’s favor, they still fought hard as a team, never giving up or sulking at the scoreboard. They stayed focused and kept the intensity high throughout the game.

The University of Maine Women’s Soccer team is entering conference play this Sunday at 4-1-2 overall in the season so far. Back home at the Mahaney Diamond, the Black Bears face Binghamton as their America East home opener. 

They finished out non-conference play by defeating Holy Cross on Sept. 15 in an exciting 1-0 game on the road. After scoring within the first two minutes, the Black Bears battled hard to secure the win against the Crusaders. 

With most players returning after winning the America East Championship last season, Maine felt confident going into the Sept. 22 match at noon. They will also be holding a celebration in honor of winning the 2023 America East title before the match. 

“We’ve had a couple games where the better teams have challenged us, which is a good thing before going into conference play,” said Liis Abbott, the associate head coach. “Now we know all of the things we can learn from and have the chance to fix.” 

The Bears had an impressive start to the season with four consecutive wins, which marks the third consecutive year that they have been unbeaten in the first four games.

Maine is led by fourth year forward Abby Kraemer, a 2023 Second Team All-American and the 2023 America East Striker of the Year. Fourth year midfielder Lara Kirkby and third year forward Jordane Pinette are tied for the team lead with three goals each through seven games.

The America East Conference consists of nine women’s soccer teams stretching as far south as Maryland. This conference has always been known to be competitive and physical, making every game a battle. 

Binghamton were the 2023 America East regular season champions. On Sept. 22, they entered conference play with a record of 3-3-2 overall. The past three matchups between the Bears and the Bearcats have resulted in ties, making each meeting a thrilling match. 

“When there are bigger games on the line we really step up and I’m very excited to see where we are with our potential on the field,” said Abbott. She also commented on how hard the team has worked and the countless hours put into training to become the best they can be. 

So far, Maine has shown that they are ready and prepared for challenges to come their way. They are hungry to chase another title and are prepared to earn their fifth victory on Sept 22.