Welcome to The Maine Campus’ live coverage of Super Bowl 58 between the Chiefs and 49ers!

8:58 p.m. Pacheco is stuffed up the middle, and the Chiefs are forced to punt again.

8:56 p.m. Mahomes takes a shot to start the drive but finds no luck. 5 penalties, 4 fumbles and 2 giveaways are the story of the game for the Chiefs. Kelce slips free to get 9 and the Chiefs need a first down like we need air. Mahomes burns a timeout, which could be pivotal later in the night, especially as they are currently trailing. 3rd and 1.

8:53 p.m. Wishnowsky has an unbelievable punt downed at the 1-yard line, creating a tall task for Mahomes and company.

8:50 p.m. An incomplete pass and a false start set up 2nd and 15 for the 49ers, with the ball now around midfield. Another incomplete pass sets up the biggest play of the game, where momentum is really up for grabs. 3rd and 15. Purdy escapes for just 3 and the Chiefs get a much-needed stop.

8:47 p.m. The first play is a botched pitch that results in a loss of 14 yards, 2nd at 24. Noah Gray gets half of the needed yardage setting up 3rd and 12. Mahomes sails Kelce on a throw and is intercepted by Jaire Brown, setting up the 49ers in Chiefs territory!

8:46 p.m. After a wonderful performance from Usher and others, it’s time to start the second half. The Chiefs will get the ball first.

8:25 p.m. The halftime show begins!

8:12 p.m. After a small run by McCaffrey, the clock winds to halftime, where Usher will be performing.

8:10 p.m. The 49ers have all three timeouts and 20 seconds remaining.

8:08 p.m. A handoff to Rice grabs 2 more and KC calls timeout at the SF8 with 29 seconds to go. 3rd and 5, one timeout remains. Arik Armstead sacks Mahomes, and Butker will attempt a field goal. Butker knocks home a 28-yard field goal and cuts the deficit to 7.

8:04 p.m. Rashee Rice, on a pick play that is not called, is able to move the chains for the Chiefs. Rice follows up again with a gain of 11. Kansas City calls a timeout to stop the clock at 1:03 left in the first half at the SF13-yard line. Rice gets a couple on a screen and the clock winds.

8:01 p.m. A false start makes it 3rd and 10. It is a big play for Mahomes and Justin Watson to convert the play into 49er territory, it’s a gain of 21. Watson gets another look but is unable to haul in the ball, setting up 2nd and 10. Pacheco gets a touch out wide and grabs 8, leading to a 3rd and 2.

7:58 p.m. 3rd and 5 for the Chiefs after the 2-minute warning.

7:55 p.m.Pacheco kicks things off with an 8-yard tote. Pacheco carries again and shows some promise for the Chiefs, first down. It’s the Pacheco show; give him another six through the air. Clyde Edwards-Helaire enters the game and goes backward.

7:50 p.m. The 49ers break out a double pass from Juwan Jennings back to McCaffrey for a 21-yard touchdown! 10-0, 49ers.

7:46 p.m. A pair of McCaffrey touches collects a total of 13 yards, and the 49ers are out over midfield. Elijah Mitchell gets his first two touches and gets 7 yards. A big mistake by the Chiefs on a personal foul give the 49ers a free 15 yards, and they are knocking on the door of the red zone.

7:44 p.m. Deebo Samuel cannot haul in the first downplay, 2nd and 10. Samuel rebounds the following play to get 12 and move the chains.

7:39 p.m. Mahomes is called for a questionable intentional grounding and now it’s 2nd and 20 for the Chiefs. A poor decision by the Chiefs to run it sets up 3rd and 16. Mahomes escapes a sack and gets a couple but will be forced to punt yet again. It’s also been confirmed that Tony Romo cannot sing.

7:37 p.m. We have an ongoing scene. 49ers star linebacker Dre Greenlaw’s knee buckled simply running onto the field. He’s about to be carted away.

7:33 p.m. THE BALL IS MADE OF BUTTER! Richie James can’t hold on to the ball and is extremely lucky to get it back before ensuing 49ers defenders get to him. Adding fuel to the fire, Travis Kelce (the guy dating someone famous) was irate on the sidelines for being taken out of the game after the large gain for the Chiefs. Between Kelce and the fumbles, the Chiefs are lucky to be down 3-0. 9:16 to go in the second quarter.

7:30 p.m. Purdy escapes on a bootleg to get 10 and adds 15 for a horse collar tackle. Momentum is swinging in the 49ers’ direction. Back-to-back runs up the middle, setting up a crucial 3rd and 8 for both sides. Karlaftis is able to bring down Purdy and set up a punt for the 49ers. A huge stand for the Chiefs.

7:28 p.m. Through just over a quarter, the football has hit the turf three times, changing hands twice. Typically, sure players in Pacheco and McCaffrey could be showing signs of nerve early on.

7:26 p.m. Pacheco coughs up the football on the next play, and Hargreave recovers it to give the ball back to the 49ers!

7:24 p.m. Short pass to Pacheco, gets seven for the Chiefs. Short Pacheco run sets up a tricks 3rd and 1. Rice gets 3 on a short run and almost fumbles. Mahomes takes the top off to Mecole Hardman for a HUGE gain of 52!  First and goal for the Chiefs.

7:18 p.m. Chiefs blitz and Purdy takes a shot deep, but Trent Mcduffie of the Chiefs shuts down Deebo Samuel, setting up a 54-yard field kick for rookie Jake Moody. Moody nails a Super Bowl-record 55-yard kick! 49ers lead 3-0.

7:15 p.m. An incomplete pass and a loss of 4 due to Felix Anudike-Uzomah ends the first quarter in Las Vegas. The 49ers will have 3rd and 14 from the KC34 as we still look for the first points of the game.

7:12 p.m. After a short gain and an incomplete pass, Purdy finds veteran wideout Chris Conley for a huge first down and gain of 16. Purdy finds Ray-Ray Mcloud for a huge gain of 19 to the KC 30.

7:09 p.m. McCaffrey starts the drive with a solid gain of 7. SF, with a fumble and two penalties, has shown more promise moving the ball but needs to avoid shooting themselves in the foot. The 49ers elect to accept an offsides penalty and replay the first down. Consecutive runs for McCaffrey give the 49ers a fresh set of downs.

7:07 p.m. The 49ers will start their third drive from their own 17. With just under four minutes left in the first, we’re still looking for the game’s first score.

7:05 p.m. Mahomes and the Chiefs have been forced into two thirds and longs and need to establish some protection and run game to slow the defensive line of the 49ers.

7:04 p.m.  Mahomes gets lucky to hold on to the ball after getting tackled by Randy Gregory. A punt by Tommy Townsend nets 61 yards after great special teams coverage.

7:03 p.m. Chiefs find some running room, Pacheco gets 10, and the Chiefs first chain mover. 49ers respond with Chase Young devouring Mahomes and dumping him in the backfield for a loss of four. A screen to Rice goes nowhere for a loss of 1.

6:59 p.m. A booming punt from Mitch. A punt for the 49ers sets KC up at their own 11.

6:57 p.m. Williams committed another penalty. This time, it’s holding, erasing a large gain. 2nd and 27. McCaffrey screen gets seven back, setting up a dangerous 3rd and 20. After consecutive conservative throws, the 49ers are forced to punt. Coach Shanahan is possibly playing it safe with the young QB.

6:55 p.m. The game’s first penalty comes from the future hall of famer, Trent Williams. A false start moves the 49ers.

6:54 p.m. Purdy starts the drive with a dart to Brandon Aiyuk for 18 yards out to the KC 43. Deebo Samuel’s first carry is shut down on a jet sweep, a loss of 1.

6:51 p.m. Back-to-back plays for the Chiefs go nowhere. 3rd and 12 for Mahomes and company. Mahomes finds McKinnon for 8 yards but is short of the first down, forcing the Chiefs to punt. A modest punt of 43 yards and SF will start their second drive from their own 24-yard line.

As they were rolling down the field, McCaffrey coughs up the football! George Karlaftis recovers the ball for the Chiefs! KC takes over on their 27-yard line. A very promising drive ends in no points for the 49ers.

The 49ers are moving the Chiefs on the offensive line. CMC gains 20 yards through a 10-yard catch followed by a 10-yard run.

Christian Mccaffrey gains six yards on first down. Purdy then hits Juszczyk for 18 and a first down! Ball is now out to midfield.

Butker kicks off for a touchback.

6:30 p.m. The Chiefs have won the coin toss and elected to defer. Brock Purdy and the 49ers will get the ball first! For those with betting purposes, the coin toss landed on heads.

The University of Maine Black Bears hit the road this past weekend to take on two tough Hockey East opponents: Northeastern and the eleventh nationally-ranked University of Massachusetts. Northeastern’s home ice rink, Matthews Arena, has been a house of horrors for the Black Bears. Since 2012, Maine has been 0-13-2 inside Matthews arena and would need to bring their best to knock off a hot Northeastern team. The back-to-back road games in different venues challenged the Black Bears as they looked to hit their stride entering the Hockey East playoffs. The Northeastern Huskies’ first-year goalie Cameron Whitehead and Black Bear fourth-year goalie Victor Ostman started in the net on Friday evening to begin the action off for the weekend.

The teams spent the first period feeling the other team out, as neither was looking to make the first mistake. Both the Black Bears and Huskies established that they wanted to play a physical game. Northeastern had the first golden opportunity of the game when first-year forward Dylan Hryckowian buried the game’s first goal 11 minutes into the first period. The Huskies protected their home ice in the first period and took a 1-0 lead to the intermission.

The Black Bears came out firing in the second period. It wasn’t long before first-year forward Josh Nadeau tied the game up at one after a turnover by the Huskies on their defensive end. As the second period was winding down, Black Bear third-year forward Cole Hanson scored a wrist shot that gave Maine a 2-1 advantage about 17 minutes into the second period. The two teams would trade chances before Maine took their lead into the intermission.

The third period was nothing short of chaos. After matching penalties to the two teams, Huskies second-year defenseman Hunter McDonald tied the game at two with a slapshot by Ostman about three minutes into the third period. Disaster would ensue for the Black Bears when fifth-year graduate forward Ben Poisson was handed a five-minute major and an ejection for a hit to the head. The Huskies would take full advantage of the opportunity as fourth-year forward Alex Martinez, third-year forward Justin Hryckowian and second-year forward Jack Williams all cashed in on power-play goals, giving the Huskies a 5-2 lead, with all three goals coming within a span of just ninety seconds. 

The Black Bears continued to fight to the end, with Hanson scoring his second goal of the evening with under a minute to go in the game, briefly cutting the Huskies lead to 5-3 before they added an empty net goal with one second remaining for the official 6-3 win. A costly penalty was the difference on Friday night, but there was no time to sulk as the Black Bears had to turn their attention to the eleventh-ranked national team, UMass.

Maine kicked off Saturday with Albin Boija, a first-year goalie from Sweden, in the net. Boija would go head to head with another first-year goalie as Michael Hrabal got the start for UMass. Not only was this a big game for the Black Bears in terms of the standings, but there was a little extra motivation for Ben Barr, who has been coaching the team for three years, to face off with his former team. Barr signed a contract extension this past week to stay at Maine and will be the head coach through at least the 2028 season. 

It didn’t take long for the Black Bears to strike as the second-year, three-team Hockey East defender of the week, Brandon Chabrier, got the Black Bears out and in front just over a minute into the game. Maine found themselves on two separate penalty kills throughout the first period but were able to fend off the Minutemen’s attack before taking a 1-0 lead into the intermission. In the second period, scoring chances were few and far between. It was a very physical game dominated by puck control with two strong defensive units. Boija turned away third-year defenseman Scott Morrow on a rebound chance with just over three minutes to go in the second period to keep the lead at 1-0. Fourth-year forward Donovan-Villeneuve Houle gave the Black Bears a power play in the final two minutes, drawing a cross-checking penalty from third-year defenseman Ryan Ufko. Unable to capitalize on the opportunity, the lead remained 1-0 after two periods.

The third period was eerily similar to the second. A battle for puck possession was at a premium, and neither team gave an inch in their respective defensive zones. Second-year defenseman Luke Antonacci made a pair of gutsy blocks on a penalty kill halfway through the third period as the score remained 1-0. Boija made numerous saves down the stretch as the Minutemen threw more shots his way. UMass pulled Hrabal out of his net with ninety seconds to go, and the mad scramble began. The Black Bears iced the puck twice in the final minute, and the Minutemen would call their timeout with eight seconds remaining. Boija made one final save to secure the shutout win for the Black Bears, earning them three crucial points in the Hockey East standings. Maine currently sits third, fending off Providence, who are just two points behind. The Black Bears host Providence next week for a pair of games that will be pivotal to securing a top-five seed and a first-round bye for home-ice advantage in the Hockey East playoffs.

The University of Maine men’s ice hockey team is currently as hot as they’ve ever been. The Black Bears are knocking on the door of the top of Hockey East standings, sitting directly behind the Terriers of Boston University and the Eagles of Boston College. With the two teams playing each other three times in two weeks, it presents a golden opportunity for the Black Bears to move up in the standings, and with only 12 games to go, every point matters. 

Sitting at 16-4-2, the Black Bears are primed for a potential Hockey East Championship appearance at TD Garden. Should the Black Bears secure one of the three first-round byes, only one win would be needed to reach the Hockey East playoff semi-final at TD Garden, and it would be the first time since 2012 that the Black Bears reached the final four teams in the Hockey East playoffs.

That success hasn’t come overnight. Players like fifth-year forward Ben Poisson and fourth-year forward and team captain Lynden Breen have endured very difficult years that were as recent as the 2021 season campaign, where the Black Bears struggled mightily, resulting in winning a total of just seven games. 

The program has seen a lot of overturns. Ben Barr is currently in his third season as the head coach for the Black Bears. Barr has done an incredible job stepping into the shoes of the late legendary Black Bear head coach, Red Gendry. Barr has a prolific history of seeing him. bring the University of Massachusetts a National Championship in 2021. His impact on the Black Bears hasn’t taken very long to come to life, and the result is showing on the ice. 

The chemistry has glowed throughout Alfond Arena this past year. We don’t have to look any further than the dynamic brother that has taken Maine Ice Hockey by storm. Brothers Josh and Bradly Nadeau have dominated opposing defenses. Josh Nadeau currently leads his younger brother by one point (32 and 31, respectively), and along with Lyndon Breen, the three first-line forwards all average more than a point per game. The performances throughout the year earned all three young men a spot in the 2024 Hobey Baker finalist ballet, which will be decided in early February.

While nothing is taken for granted, the hype and success that the Black Bears have brought this season has spread throughout the school. Student lines increase every game, and tickets sell out weeks in advance. Alfond Arena has become one of the most daunting places for opposing teams to play in, and it’s only gotten more difficult this year, from the strong play on the ice to the strong support in the stands. With only 12 games left, few opportunities remain for the Black Bears to acquire points. Last year, the Black Bears limped into the playoffs on a losing streak and lost their opening-round matchup to bottom-ranked Vermont. It’s extremely important for the boys on the ice to stay in stride and ride this moment into the playoffs. Because if they’re not careful, it can all be gone at the snap of a finger.

The University of Maine men’s ice hockey team is currently as hot as they’ve ever been. The Black Bears are knocking on the door of the top of Hockey East standings, sitting directly behind the Terriers of Boston University and the Eagles of Boston College. With the two teams playing each other three times in two weeks, it presents a golden opportunity for the Black Bears to move up in the standings, and with only 12 games to go, every point matters. 

Sitting at 16-4-2, the Black Bears are primed for a potential Hockey East Championship appearance at TD Garden. Should the Black Bears secure one of the three first-round byes, only one win would be needed to reach the Hockey East playoff semi-final at TD Garden, and it would be the first time since 2012 that the Black Bears reached the final four teams in the Hockey East playoffs.

That success hasn’t come overnight. Players like fifth-year forward Ben Poisson and fourth-year forward and team captain Lynden Breen have endured very difficult years that were as recent as the 2021 season campaign, where the Black Bears struggled mightily, resulting in winning a total of just seven games. 

The program has seen a lot of overturns. Ben Barr is currently in his third season as the head coach for the Black Bears. Barr has done an incredible job stepping into the shoes of the late legendary Black Bear head coach, Red Gendry. Barr has a prolific history of seeing him. bring the University of Massachusetts a National Championship in 2021. His impact on the Black Bears hasn’t taken very long to come to life, and the result is showing on the ice. 

The chemistry has glowed throughout Alfond Arena this past year. We don’t have to look any further than the dynamic brother that has taken Maine Ice Hockey by storm. Brothers Josh and Bradly Nadeau have dominated opposing defenses. Josh Nadeau currently leads his younger brother by one point (32 and 31, respectively), and along with Lyndon Breen, the three first-line forwards all average more than a point per game. The performances throughout the year earned all three young men a spot in the 2024 Hobey Baker finalist ballet, which will be decided in early February.

While nothing is taken for granted, the hype and success that the Black Bears have brought this season has spread throughout the school. Student lines increase every game, and tickets sell out weeks in advance. Alfond Arena has become one of the most daunting places for opposing teams to play in, and it’s only gotten more difficult this year, from the strong play on the ice to the strong support in the stands. With only 12 games left, few opportunities remain for the Black Bears to acquire points. Last year, the Black Bears limped into the playoffs on a losing streak and lost their opening-round matchup to bottom-ranked Vermont. It’s extremely important for the boys on the ice to stay in stride and ride this moment into the playoffs. Because if they’re not careful, it can all be gone at the snap of a finger.

The 36th annual Survivor Series, presented by the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), occurred this past Saturday. The event was held at Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The five-match card was met with an electric crowd ready to explode at any point. 

The show began with the highly anticipated Women’s Wargames match. Team Bianca, consisting of Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, Shotzi and Charlotte Flair, took on opposing Damage Control members in Asuka, Kairi Sane, Iyo Sky and Bayley. The match was hard-hitting, to say the least. One of the most memorable moments in the match was when Sky put a trash can over herself and jumped from the top of the Wargames structure onto all members of Team Bianca. Moments later, without any props, Flair hit a moonsault from the top of the structure, taking out Damage Control. Bayley was able to save the match for her team numerous times but was cornered by members of Team Bianca, resulting in Bayley going through a table as a result of a Lynch “manhandle slam” and securing the win for her team. 

The next match was for Gunther’s prestigious Intercontinental title. Eight-time champion The Miz looked to knock off the longest-reigning intercontinental champion of all time. It was violent, with both superstars trading loud, ear-piercing strikes and chops. The Miz had a counter for nearly all of Gunther’s moves and had the crowd on their feet, thinking they were about to see a title change. Miz went to the well for his “skull-crushing finale” finish one too many times and got caught and reversed into a “Boston Crab’ submission, forcing the Miz to tap out reluctantly. This resulted in Gunther retaining the intercontinental title via submission.

Up next was the Women’s World Title match between the upstart challenger Zoey Stark and dominating defending champion Rhea Ripley. Ripley has held the title since April, and none of her challengers have even looked like threats. Stark, a new talent from NXT, shined inside the ring with her athletic ability. This was one of the cases in which Stark bit off more than she could chew. Ripley made quick work of the challenger in under 10 minutes, hitting her famous “Riptide” for the win. Ripley retained the Women’s World title by pinfall. 

The final singles match of the night was between the “new and improved” attitude of Santos Escobar vs. Dragon Lee, who, in the storyline, stepped in on short notice due to the attack by Escobar on his original opponent, Carlito. Escobar and Lee put on a classic match. High-flying moments mixed in with reversals made the two Lucha Libre stars look very strong throughout the match. Out of nowhere, Escobar was able to land his “Phantom Driver” and pick up the win against Lee. 

The most anticipated match of the night was the main event. Team Cody took on Team Judgement Day inside the WarGames structure. Members of Team Cody included Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Jey Uso, the World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins, and the returning Randy Orton, who was set to make his first appearance in 18 months after double fusion back surgery. In the storyline, all Team Cody members wait anxiously for their fifth member, who is nowhere to be found, to arrive. Fast forward to the match: as the clock hit zero, Orton was supposed to come out but didn’t.

Instead, Ripley came sprinting out with the briefcase belonging to the leader of Judgement Day, Damian Priest. They intended to cash in the contract on Seth Rollins inside WarGames, but that attempt was halted when Orton’s music finally hit, and the place erupted. Orton hit a huge RKO on J.D. McDonagh from the top of WarGames before handing Priest to Rhodes to hit the “Cross Rhodes” and secure the victory for the good guys. As the credits began to roll, the famous Cult of Personality beat hit, which could only mean one thing… for the first time in nearly a decade, C.M. Punk had returned to the WWE. The Chicago crowd went ballistic at the return of the hometown hero who swore he’d never, ever return. The following night, he would go on to say, “Hell has frozen over, but I’m home.” 

The University of Maine women’s hockey team got back in action at Alfond Arena on Friday afternoon, taking on the UConn Huskies. The Black Bears are coming off a road split of two games last weekend against Boston College. UConn comes in winning their previous four and playing with a heap of confidence, only allowing one goal across that four-game span. 

The game kicked off with a real struggle for possession. Both teams covered up passing lanes and made solid fundamental plays to keep the puck moving. The game’s first shot came after 8 minutes of action and was turned away by fourth-year goalie for the Black Bears, Jorden Mattison. The battle for puck possession continued until the Black Bears committed consecutive tripping penalties. After killing off the first, the Huskies capitalized on a rebound goal scored by second-year forward Christina Walker to capture the lead at the 15:05 mark of the first period. Huskies’ third-year goalie, Tia Chan, turned away all six shots she saw in the first period. The teams split the faceoffs 8-8, and the Black Bears headed into the locker room down a goal. 

The second period started the way the first period did. Puck possession was a real struggle for both teams as the strong, defensive-minded squads made any scoring chance evaporate very quickly. The Black Bears committed another penalty five minutes into the second period but were able to kill it. Maine’s best chance came 14:20 into the period, where the stifling Tia Chan turned away a golden chance and two rebounds. Maine outshot UConn in the second period 9-4. After 40 minutes, the Huskies still led 1-0. 

Fourth-year Black Bear forward Rahel Enzler had her best chance of the game on her first shift of the third period but again was denied by Chan. The two teams traded penalties within the first five minutes, with neither team being able to capitalize. Maine began to pick up its pressure in the final ten minutes of the game. Shift after shift. The Black Bears continued to cycle the puck deep and get solid scoring chances everywhere in the offensive zone. With an opportunity as the clock was winding down as a scrum in front of Chan, the Huskies were able to clear the puck and seal their fifth win in as many games as possible, including the fourth shutout.

Even being outshot 7-1 in the third period, Chan had all the answers. Posting a 21-save shutout on the road is as impressive of a performance as possible. Her counterpart, Matteson, was also excellent on the day, stopping 12/13 shots, and her only blemish came on a pretty goal from the Huskies. 

On Saturday, the two teams again faced off, with UConn winning 3-1. The Black Bears’ third-year defender Adriana van de Leest scored one goal in the third period, but it did not affect the game as UConn already held the three-goal lead.

Both goalies played well once more, but Chan got the advantage over Mattison, saving 34-35 shots while Mattison saved 26-29 shots.

The Black Bears will head to Burlington, Vermont, to take on the Catamounts in a two-game series on November 17 and 18.

The University of Maine women’s swim team jumped into action this past Saturday as they hosted the University of Vermont Catamounts at the Stanley M. Wallace pool. The Black Bears looked to build off their recent win against Maine Maritime Academy. 

The meet began with the 200-yard medley relay with four relay units from each side. Ultimately, the team of third-year captain Madison Edwards, fifth-year Kayla Loughman, second-year Isabelle Irani and fifth-year Kennedy Kilger brought home the top prize with a time of 1:49.92. 

Following that was the 1,000-yard freestyle. The Catamounts dominated the event with the three fastest times amongst the pack, led by third-year Ella Church with a finishing time of 10:38.27. In the 200-yard freestyle, Catamount third-year Jackie House picked up points for her team at 1:56.63. 

In the 100-yard breaststroke, the Black Bears notched the three fastest times, but it was fifth-year Kayla Loughman who came out the victor with an official time of 1:06.25. Shortly after,

Vermont bounced back in the 200-yard butterfly when third-year Hally Laney won her respective heat with a time of 2:07.95. 

Moving into the freestyle events, the Catamounts started to take over. First-year Havana Layton secured crucial points for her team, posting a winning time of 24.62 in the 50-yard freestyle. Shortly after, teammate House won her second event of the day in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 53.26. 

The Catamounts won the 200-yard backstroke event. Second-year Emma Wainwright won her heat by more than a second with a time of 2:10.26. Not too far after, in the 200-yard breaststroke, Kayla Loughman picked up her second win of the way with a time of 2:25.70 to go along with her medley win earlier. 

House dominated the 500-yard freestyle. Her third event win of the day came when she posted a time of 5:08.03. The momentum would not stop for the Catamounts. Laney picked up her second win of the day with a time of 57.83 and continued the momentum for Vermont. 

Moving into the diving events, the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events looked very similar. They were both won by first-year Tannah Proudfoot of the Catamounts with scores of 251.03 and 278.78. 

The 200-yard individual medley was indeed a thriller. After an extremely close finish, by less than a second, Laneynotched her third victory of the day for Vermont with a time of 2:11.08. Laney edged out first-year Eva Welsh, who finished in second at 2:11.30. 

The event concluded with the 200-yard freestyle relay. The Black Bears continued their success within the relays and were able to pick up the win here as well. Loughman and Kilger returned to the pool for their second victories, while third-year Hannah Deighan and second-year Mia Poirier got into the win column themselves.

The Black Bears could not secure the overall win and fell to the Catamounts by a final score of 170-127. The Black Bears return to the pool next Saturday to take on the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Week seven of the NFL season kicked off last Thursday night when the Jaguars traveled to New Orleans to take on Derek Carr and the Saints. The Jaguars started strong, scoring on their opening two possessions and ultimately winning. Travis Etienne, a superstar running back for the Jaguars, led the attack with 90 yards on 17 touches and two touchdowns. 

Coming off of a three-game losing streak, there wasn’t a lot of optimism for the Patriots heading into a divisional tilt at home against the Bills. The Patriots came out firing, scoring a field goal on the first drive and producing a turnover from Josh Allen on his first throw of the game. Mac Jones and the Patriots cashed in for a touchdown and held a secure lead for most of the game. Allen and the Bills came surging back in the second half and took the lead late in the fourth quarter following a Kendrick Bourne fumble. Jones mustered up an eight-play, 75-yard drive in under two minutes and found Mike Gesicki with 12 seconds left to secure the Patriots win. 

One of the more anticipated games this weekend was between the visiting Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens. It was nothing short of a blowout from the get-go. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens were no match for the Dan Campbell-led defense. With just five minutes to go in the first half, Baltimore had built a 28-0 lead, which was ultimately too tall of a hill to climb for Jared Goff and his unit. 

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs went about their business as usual. In every game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Mahomes carved up the Chargers for 424 yards (320 in the first half, career high) and tacked on four touchdowns. His top running mate, Travis Kelce, also had a career day, totaling 12 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown of his own. The Chiefs continue to own the Chargers with no end in sight. 

Two of the NFL’s most high-powered offenses took center stage on Sunday Night. Jalen Hurts and his Philadelphia Eagles looked to topple former Alabama teammates of Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins. For the struggling Eagles, this was an important test to match up against the explosiveness that the Dolphins receivers have in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. For the Dolphins, it was a chance to display their lucrative offense against a good defense on a big stage. Fast forward three hours, and the more experienced group had the advantage; The Eagles looked like a far better team with more experience and a crispiness to their timing. Hurts took down his former college teammate 31-17 and earned a massive win for his squad to take the top seed in the NFC conference for now. 

Week eight on Thursday with the Buffalo Bills beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-18, and the battle between the Las Vegas Raiders and Detroit Lions will occur on Monday night.

The 2023 WWE Fastlane was an exhilarating event from start to finish. The crowd in Indianapolis, Indiana, was red-hot from the top of the card all the way to the bottom.  Let’s take a closer look at what went down this past Saturday at WWE Fastlane. 

Tag Team Match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: Cody Rhodes and “Main Event” Jey Uso vs. Damian Priest and Finn Balor. This match started slower, with the challengers isolating Priest’s left knee. As the match progressed, Priest and Balor gained the upper hand after Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh got involved and provided a distraction. 

A highlight of the match came with the referee distracted as McDonagh went to hit Rhodes from behind with the Money in the Bank briefcase but moved out of the way, resulting in McDonagh striking the damaged knee of Priest. Rhodes and Uso drove Priest through a table, setting up Balor to be alone in the ring. The unlikeliest of teams, Rhodes and Uso, would hit an inverted “One D,” followed by a “Cross Rhodes” to seal the win for his team. 

Result: “Main Event” Uso and Rhodes become the NEW Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions. 

Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits vs. Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar and Rey Mesterio: After a heinous attack the previous week, Mysterio and Escobar were left to compete with a partner. 

Prior to the match, Mysterio made a phone call to a friend for help, but the bell rang and the match started 3-2. Lashley and the Profits unleashed a furious beatdown on Mysterio and Escobar, dominating the first 10 minutes of the match. 

Mysterio was finally able to escape the wrath of Lashley, as both men were down in the middle of the ring. Crawling back to his corner to find no partners, Mysterio turned back and continued to fight. Then, an unfamiliar music track played. Living Life in the Fastlane. Out came Carlito! 

Making his return to the WWE, Carlito came with a flurry of offensive moves before hitting his signature backstabber for the win. 

Result: Santos Escobar, Rey Mysterio and Carlito defeated Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits 

Iyo Sky vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka in a triple threat match for the WWE Women’s Championship: This was a fast-paced, hard-hitting match. Asuka had the majority of the offense in this match, but as the finish would see, that didn’t matter. At the end of the match, Flair had Asuka locked in her signature “figure eight” submission which was tapping out, which should’ve led to her winning her 16th world championship. Sky’s running mate, Bayley, distracted the referee to prevent him from seeing Asuka tapping out. Sky would hit a “moonsault” off the top onto Charlotte and pinning her to retain her title. 

Result: Iyo Sky pins Charlotte Flair to retain the WWE Women’s Championship 

John Cena and LA Knight vs. Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa: 

LA Knight has become the hottest thing in all of sports entertainment. His “yeah” has taken over the world and crossed over into pop culture as of late. Cena started the match and was continuously beaten down for over 12 minutes. Fans were clambering to tag in Knight, but every time Cena got close, Solo and Jimmy prevented it. Finally, after 15 minutes, a tag to Knight was made, and the roof came unglued. Heavy right hands from the “Megastar” came fast and furious, setting his signature “Knightcap” elbow drop. Cena returned to the picture with a “crossbody” from the top rope, leaving Jimmy Uso all alone for Knight. Knight would hit the “BFT (Blunt Force Trauma)” and pin Jimmy Uso for the win.

Result: LA Knight and John Cena defeat Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa. 

Main Event: Seth “Freaking” Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Last Man Standing Match: Nakamura focused on the injured back of Rollins the entire match, using steel chairs, kendo sticks and exposed concrete to his advantage. Nakamura had 75% of the offense in the match, but Rollins’ ability to keep getting back up kept him in the match. The finish came about 30 minutes into the match when Rollins drove Nakamura through a table with his signature “Falcon Arrow,” and Nakamura did not reach the count of ten. 

Result: Seth “Freaking” Rollins defeats Shinsuke Nakamura to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.

Homecoming weekend started at Alfond Stadium as the University of Maine Black Bears (1-5) battled the Long Island Sharks (1-4). A jam-packed crowd looked out over the chilly fall day as the Black Bears looked to string consecutive wins on their home turf. Let’s take a deeper dive into how things went down.

The Sharks came out of the gate with a flurry. On just the second play of the game, first-year quarterback Ethan Greenwood connected on a 71-yard catch and run with fourth-year wide receiver Michael Love to put the Sharks on top 7-0 early on. Maine could not get a first down on their first drive and quickly put the Sharks back on offense. Nine minutes into the first quarter, Greenwood was on his way to his second score but fumbled through the back of the endzone, turning the ball over to the Black Bears on a touchback. Maine began to settle in, and fourth-year quarterback Derek Robertson started to get it rolling. He found fifth-year wideout Joe Gillette multiple times throughout the drive before connecting with third-year pass catcher Montigo Moss for a 13-yard touchdown and tied the game at seven points.

The second quarter started with the Sharks again getting a hot start. On the first play of the drive, Greenwood took a quarterback draw up the middle of the defense and scampered for 51 yards, setting up Long Island with an instant red-zone opportunity. The Black Bears held the Sharks to a field goal attempt, and third-year kicker Michael Coney connected from 34 yards to give Long Island the 10-7 lead. Maine looked to respond on the following drive and was once again led by Gillette, who hauled a 22-yard pass on a crucial third down. The Black Bear offense stalled out and settled for a 36-yard field goal attempt from fifth-year kicker Cody Williams, but he could not connect, and the Sharks remained on top. After a string of short and intermediate plays, Coney had an opportunity to build on the lead for the Sharks at the end of the half with a 34-yard attempt, but fifth-year player defensive back Damon Matthews blocked the kick. The Black Bears headed into the locker room down three points.

On the first drive of the second half, the Robertson and Gillette connection started to shine. Gillette had back-to-back catches on consecutive third downs to keep the drive alive for the Black Bears. Maine constantly attacked the defense of the Sharks with a stable run game throughout the entirety of the game. Fourth-year running back Tavion Banks did not have a lot of glamor in his runs but continued to move the chains in short-yardage situations the whole game. Banks finished with 21 carries for 73 yards but broke off a 17-yard run to set up a two-yard touchdown pass from Robertson to fourth-year wideout Jeremy Lampson to give Maine the lead. 

On the following drive for Long Island, Greenwood ripped off multiple runs that led the Sharks into Black Bear territory. The Sharks could not cash in on the red zone opportunity and had to settle for another Coney field goal from 39 yards out to cut the Maine lead to one point. But as the fourth quarter started, a switch was flipped.

The first play of the fourth quarter saw Robertson drop a gorgeous pass right in the hands of second-year wide receiver Trevor Ewing for a 51-yard catch and run touchdown to move the Maine lead to eight points. The opening play of the ensuing drive for the Sharks turned into a disaster, with a broken play resulting in a significant loss on a play made by fourth-year senior defensive lineman Izaiah Henderson. Long Island could not recover and was forced to punt the ball back to Robertson and the Black Bears. 

Maine was able to string together multiple solid plays and bleed the clock throughout the middle of the fourth quarter. Robertson once again found Gillette on a fourth and six from the LIU 34 to extend the drive and set up Williams to tack on another three points and move the game to a two-score game. With the clock winding down rapidly, Greenwood and the Sharks looked to operate quickly but came to a screeching halt when third-year corner Buggs Brown jumped a pass and intercepted Greenwood, giving the ball back to Maine and effectively ending the game. 

In his postgame press conference, Brown noted that LIU had “run the same kind of concept a couple of times, trusted his fundamentals on the play, and just went for it and made a play.”

Coach Jordan Stevens highlighted the defense in his postgame comments, applauding them for “being able to settle into the game in the second half over the past couple of weeks.” 

Maine’s offense has come together over the past three games, averaging almost 34 points a game, and they’ll look to continue it next week when they head off to Campbell University.