Maine Savings has announced a gift of a minimum $50,000 to the University of Maine Athletics Department for the grand opening of their Stillwater Avenue branch.

The donation will comes in the form of a Black Bear Debit Card. Maine Savings will donate a minimum $10,000 per year for the next five years of the deal.

“It’s a great thing for us where our community business is making a direct investment with scholarships,” said UMaine Athletic Director Karlton Creech. “With every swipe of the debit card, money goes towards the scholarships.”

Every time the card is swiped, Maine Savings will donate 5 cents to the UMaine Athletic Department. Once donations reach the minimum amount of $10,000, five cents will be added to the fund.

Former UMaine goalie and current Detroit Red Wings netminder Jimmy Howard was on hand Friday during the opening of the new branch to help spread the word about the program and sign autographs for fans.

Creech was pleased with the partnership between UMaine and Maine Savings, a relationship that has been progressing over the last seven years.

“It’s been an ongoing partnership between Maine Savings and the athletic department for years and really, this is just the next generation of that partnership.” Kreech said.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Maine Savings John Reed spearheaded the effort and was excited to see the money going towards furthering UMaine athletics and the Black Bear Fund. The Black Bear Fund is UMaine’s athletics fundraising system, raising money for student-athlete scholarships.

“We have had a partnership with UMaine for probably seven years and we just signed a new five-year agreement with them that involves even more than our last agreement. The biggest thing is the exclusive Black Bear debit card. It’s a great thing for us as well as the fans and the university. The fan gets to pull out a Black Bear card and every time they swipe it we contribute about a nickel to the Black Bear Fund.” Reed said.

Reed, a UMaine graduate with two degrees, hopes that the growing partnership with Maine Savings and the UMaine Athletic Department will encourage other community businesses to do what they can to help out.

“The fans love the Black Bears and I think businesses, if they can, need to dig in and contribute however they can to the University to support these kinds of things.” Reed said.

John Huard, one of the greatest athletes in University of Maine history, was recently given the honor of being the first Black Bear enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.

“I received a box in the mail and it had a football with my name on it [that] said ‘University of Maine’ and a note that was congratulating me on being in the Hall of Fame so it was kind of a surprise,” said Huard. “My life has been many different journeys where I’ve met tremendous people. And hey, it’s a nice football. I have a football that I intercepted from Joe Namath, two from my coaching days in Canada and now this one.”

Huard played football as a linebacker at UMaine from 1964 to 1966, during which he was a two-time First-team All-American and two-time First-Team All-Yankee Conference. His greatest accomplishment as a Black Bear was leading UMaine to an improbable Tangerine Bowl berth in 1964.

Listed by Sports Illustrated as one of the top 20 athletes in the state of Maine, Huard was selected by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 1967 NFL Draft and played four seasons professionally with the Broncos and New Orleans Saints.

When his playing days were done, Huard turned to coaching at Acadia University where he led the Axemen to National Championships in 1979 and 1981. After coaching in Canada, Huard coached in the short-lived United States Football League as a special teams coach and was the head coach at Maine Maritime Academy from 1987-1994.

“I wanted to make them understand the game of football. Before practice I would go on the field and put small things all over the field. I wanted them to see the field as a safe place, so they would take care of it and pick everything up off the field.” Huard said.

As a coach, Huard always made sure to put his players first and did everything he could to make them comfortable and make them the best football players they could be.

“Sometimes during a hot practice day if they guys were playing well I would announce to the guys that we would be going tubing down the river, so they would get a break and have some fun as a team,” Huard explained. “You can learn a lot about your players by putting them in those situations.”

Huard was honored for his achievement at halftime of UMaine’s opening game against Norfolk State University, where the sold-out crowd welcomed him back to his alma mater.

“It was wonderful. I always wanted to go to school at UMaine and the group of players that I played with were some of the best guys I ever played with. We weren’t the biggest, strongest, or fastest, but we played the hardest. And that’s what everybody had done in their lives. It’s always great going back to the University.” Huard said.

Huard will be enshrined on October 7 with 13 other players and coaches at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Black Bears began their Colonial Athletic Association title chase Saturday night with a 10-6 home victory against Norfolk State.

Linebacker Christian Mulumba Tsimanga, the 2013 CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year, led UMaine in a game-long defensive struggle by recording a game-high 14 tackles. The Black Bears defense, nicknamed the ‘Black Hole,” allowed just 100 total yards of offense in the contest.

“When we got our back against the wall, we had to just keep playing,” Tsimanga said. “We watched a lot of film so we were ready for them. We knew they were running the ball. The first thing we do in the ‘Black Hole’ is stop the run.”

Norfolk State sophomore kicker Cameron Marouf split the uprights on the first two Spartans possessions for field goals of 46 and 28 yards for a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

UMaine sophomore Dan Collins made his first collegiate start and was shaky in the first quarter but began to find a rhythm in the second, leading the Black Bears on an 81-yard drive that culminated in a 33-yard touchdown pass to senior wideout Damarr Aultmann.

Collins showed arm strength on the touchdown pass to Aultmann, and mobility by breaking off a 20-yard run in the third quarter and finishing with 25-yard rushing and 92-yards passing.

“Danny won his first college football game and that’s what the goal was,” said UMaine head coach Jack Cosgrove. “I thought he got better as the game went on.”

UMaine extended their lead after halftime when junior defensive end Trevor Bates tipped and made a diving interception on a pass from Spartans junior quarterback Malik Stokes that led to a 27-yard field goal and 10-6 Black Bear advantage.

“I just looked up and found it at the last minute so I dove on it,” Bates said. “It was pretty close.”

The Black Bears defense lost junior cornerback Sherrod Baltimore and junior defensive end Mike Kozlakowski to injuries but did not stumble, allowing just four first downs in the final three quarters. The Spartans had several opportunities to score late in the game, namely the last drive that went all the way to the UMaine 11-yard line, but failed to convert.

UMaine struggled offensively against a stout Norfolk State defense that featured 6’7” senior linebacker Lynden Trail. Trail, the preseason MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, recorded eight tackles with two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and 1.5 sacks. Junior linebacker Lamar Neal led the Spartans with 10 tackles.

The Black Bears have a week off before traveling to take on Bryant University on Sept. 13for their first road contest of the year. The Spartans return home to host Liberty University on Sept. 6 at 4 p.m.

University of Maine sophomore Ryan Lomberg has been suspended indefinitely from the UMaine hockey team pending an investigation into assault and disorderly conduct charges.
The charges date back to an off-campus quarrel at 5 Summer Street on April 26 over a dog that belonged to a mutual friend. Lomberg allegedly knocked the victim to the ground and kicked him in the face and chest before being restrained. The victim allegedly received a broken nose and a concussion. The actions were reported to the Orono Police Department and Lomberg was summoned but not arrested.
There were also allegedly another, less serious fight involving rising junior defenseman Ben Hutton though no charges have been filed. The incident was serious enough to cause head coach Red Gendron to return to UMaine from a hockey coach’s convention in Florida.
Lomberg is known as a fiery, electric forward on the ice. The rising junior was third on the team with 11 goals last season and tallied seven assists in all but one of Umaine’s games. He also tied with rising senior defenseman Jake Rutt for the team in penalty minutes with 40.
The game that Lomberg missed was due to a one-game suspension stemming from an elbowing incident in a February game against Merrimack College, a game that showed Lomberg’s passion in addition to his temper.
Lomberg will be faced with the criminal justice process, the student code of conduct and the student-athlete code of conduct.
Lomberg is due to appear in court on June 19.

After one of the most tumultuous seasons in University of Maine men’s basketball history, changes were sure to come.

Those changes did not take long, as on Tuesday morning UMaine announced Tuesday morning that Bob Walsh of Rhode Island College would be named the new men’s basketball coach.

Walsh has been the Rhode Island head coach for nine seasons, leading them to eight consecutive Division III postseason appearances including seven straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament and a 204-63 record. He also served as an assistant coach at Providence College for seven years, during which they amassed a 182-146 record.

“I am excited to welcome Coach Bob Walsh to the Black Bear family,” said UMaine director of athletics Karlton Creech in a press release. “His time at Rhode Island College has been the most successful in the history of the program.”

Last season he received the Jim Baron Div. III Coach of the Year and Little East Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Anchormen to a 26-4 overall record and a 13-1 mark in the Little East Conference. He was one of 15 finalists for the Glenn Robinson National Coach of the Year.

UMaine hosted Northeastern University associate head coach Dave McLaughlin and Walsh for campus visits Thursday and Friday of last week, respectively. They reportedly made their decision following Walsh’s Friday visit.

Walsh replaces former head coach Ted Woodward, who had his contract bought out shortly after last season. Woodward served as the UMaine head coach for ten years and leaves after an abysmal 6-23 season and the transfer of several key players after the season.
Walsh’s history of long-term success and basketball intelligence will make him a huge asset for a UMaine team looking to rebuild following a dismal 2013 campaign.

“Coach Walsh is highly respected in the college basketball community and ready for the challenge of leading and rebuilding UMaine’s Division I basketball program,” said Creech.

“I’m excited to begin the challenge of establishing a championship culture at the University of Maine as the leader of the men’s basketball program,” said Walsh via press release. “I can’t wait to be a part of the excellent academic and athletic culture at UMaine, and to embrace the energy and passion of the community.

UMaine received more than 100 applicants for the head coaching position in the first nine days after Woodward’s contract was bought out. The search committee was chaired by Associate Director of Athletic Development and former interim athletics director Seth Woodcock.

“Bob Walsh is a perfect fit to lead our men’s basketball program,” Woodcock said. “He is a proven winner with a successful system built on the principles of accountability, trust, commitment and good old-fashioned hard work.”

Walsh will earn $100,000 in the first year of his four-year contract and it will increase $5,000 over the next two years and $10,000 in the final year, earning him $120,000 in his fourth year.

The University of Maine baseball team split a doubleheader Saturday afternoon before dropping the rubber game Sunday at America East foe Binghamton University. The Black Bears fall to 14-19 on the season and 5-5 in conference play while the Bearcats improve their record to 10-19 and 4-8 in conference.

UMaine will travel to the College of the Holy Cross Tuesday for a single game before hosting the New York Institute of Technology for three games this weekend. Binghamton travels to Cornell University on Tuesday and St. Bonaventure University on Thursday before hosting Hartford University next weekend for a two-game series.

UMaine splits Saturday doubleheader

The Black Bears took the first game of the series by a score of 3-0. Junior ace and reigning America East Pitcher of the Year Tommy Lawrence pitched a gem, going nine strong innings and striking out seven to even up his record at 4-4.

The first contest was a pitcher’s duel between Lawrence and Binghamton junior Jack Rogalla. Rogalla went 7 andtwo-thirds innings, allowing two earned runs and walking four and drops to 3-5 on the season with the loss.

Binghamton’s best opportunity to score came in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore first baseman Reed Gamanche singled to center and was advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. Sophomore third baseman David Schanz singled through the right side, moving Reed to third. Lawrence settled down on the mound, striking out freshman catcher Eddie Posavec and inducing a lineout to third, ending the threat.

UMaine senior third baseman Alex Calbick led off the eighth inning with his second home run of the season over the right field fence. Junior right fielder Brian Doran followed him up with a walk and was moved to second thanks to a single from junior first baseman Nick Bernardo.

Sophomore catcher Jonathan Salcedo singled to left field, scoring Doran to give the Black Bears a 2-0 advantage. Binghamton freshman Justin Pugh relieved Rogalla, striking out UMaine sophomore Shane Bussey to end the inning.

The Black Bears tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth when senior second baseman Troy Black reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second. Following a Calbick walk, junior designated hitter Scott Heath singled home Black to ensure the Black Bear victory.

Binghamton’s offense was sparked in the night cap by senior center fielder Shaun McGraw and Gamanche, who each drove in a pair of runs.

Binghamton junior right fielder Zach Blanden led off the bottom of the first with a double to right field and advanced to third when senior center fielder Bill Beresznlewicz singled up the middle. Junior left fielder Jake Thomas singled through the left side, scoring Blanden for an early 1-0 Bearcat advantage.

Black tied it up with one swing of the bat in the top of the third, hitting a solo home run to right field with two outs. The dinger was his first of the season.

Binghamton wasted no time responding when, in the bottom of the third, McGraw doubled to left field and knocked in Beresznlewicz. Gamanche hit a double of his own to left that scored McGraw and Thomas, chasing UMaine senior starter Shaun Coughlin from the game in favor of junior Luke Morrill. Coughlin was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs in 2 andone-third innings on the mound.

The Bearcats tacked on three more in the fifth when Thomas walked, stole second and scored on a McGraw double down the left field line. Gamanche walked and advanced to second while McGraw moved to third on a fielder’s choice.

Morrill was pulled after the fielder’s choice and was replaced by junior Steve Trask. Schanz greeted Trask with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring McGraw and moving Reed to third. Freshman catcher Eddie Posavec followed him up with a double to left, scoring Gamanche to push the Bearcat lead to six.

The Black Bears left two on in the top of the seventh. Scott led off with a walk and Doran singled to right field to put runners at first and second, but both were left on when Bernardo struck out and the last two batters flied out to give Binghamton the 7-1 victory.

Binghamton junior starter Mike Urbanski was awarded the win, improving his record to 3-1 on the season. He went four innings, giving up three hits and one run. Junior reliever Greg Ostner threw the last three innings and picked up his second save of the season.

Thomas’ 6 RBI gives Bearcats Sunday finale

UMaine dropped the final game of the series 8-2.

UMaine starter Fran Whitten got the loss, going just two innings and giving up a pair of runs. Binghamton sophomore starter Jake Cryts was awarded the win after going 6 andtwo-thirds innings and giving up two runs on seven hits.

Binghamton got on the board early in the second when Whitten walked McGraw, hit Gamanche with a pitch and then drilled senior second baseman John Howell to load the bases before beaning Posavec to walk in the first run of the game.

Whitten struggled again in the bottom of the third, giving up a single and a walk before being replaced by Heath. Heath hit Thomas to load the bases and gave up a McGraw single to right field that scored Bereszniewicz for a 2-0 Bearcats advantage.

The Black Bears got on the board in the fifth when Bernardo led off with a double down the right field line and advanced to third on a flyout to left field. Bussey grounded out to second but scored Bernardo to cut the lead in half.

Blanden, Bereszniewicz and senior second baseman Daniel Nevares loaded the bases for Binghamton before Thomas launched a grand slam to give the Bearcats a quick five-run lead.

The Black Bears put a dent in the lead in the top of the seventh with a Salcedo solo shot but Binghamton tacked on two more in the bottom of the eighth with a Thomas two-run shot to ensure the win.

The University of Maine softball team’s home opener was a long time coming this year because of poor weather, but they finally took to Mike Kessock Field last weekend for a three-game set against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

The Black Bears lost the first game Friday afternoon before splitting a doubleheader on Saturday.

The Terriers improve to 24-16 and 2-6 in America East play, while the Black Bears fall to 14-13 and 6-5 in conference.

“It is nice to be home,” UMaine head coach Lynn Coutts said. “But when you don’t win it doesn’t matter where you are. It doesn’t feel so good.”

UMaine drops home opener 3-0

The Black Bears fell in the first game of the series at the hands of freshman Jessica Holte, who went all seven innings, scattering four hits and striking out three.

The Black Bears struggled offensively in the game, though they had a chance to score in the bottom of the second when junior center fielder EmJ Fogel singled to right field and got to second on a wild pitch. Freshman third baseman Shelby Obert walked with two outs, but Holte struck out junior first baseman Nikki Byron swinging to end the threat.

The Terriers put a pair across in the fourth thanks to good baserunning and an error.

Sophomore Bridget O’Malley and catcher Taylor Hall led off with a pair of walks, with senior outfielder Megan Sauble pinch running for Hall. Sophomore designated hitter Danielle O’Neill singled into left and O’Malley scored on an error by UMaine freshman left fielder Samantha Ralphs.

A fielder’s choice advanced O’Neill and Sauble to second and third before freshman left fielder Kelly Lane drove in Sauble with a bloop single to right field.

UMaine senior starter Hannah Hill pitched well despite the loss, going all seven innings and giving up three runs, two of them earned, and striking out six.

The Black Bears had a good opportunity to come back in their half of the frame. Senior designated hitter Jean Stevens lined a single up the middle and was pinch run for by sophomore Lydia O’Connor. O’Connor reached second on a wild pitch and freshman catcher Rachel Harvey singled to the pitcher to put runners at the corners. Obert grounded a ball to junior second baseman Kaitlin Olesky who tagged Harvey and gunned down Obert at first for a double play to end the inning.

The Terriers added an insurance run in the sixth when senior first baseman Chelsea Bertoglio reached on an error by junior outfielder Alexis Bogdanovich and advanced to second on a pass ball. Sophomore Jordan Sganga pinch ran for Bertoglio and, after advancing to third on a wild pitch, scored on a single from Lane to seal up the Terriers’ 3-0 victory.

Black Bears salvage weekend set with doubleheader split

UMaine came alive offensively in the early game of their doubleheader Saturday, taking down the Terriers 8-0 in six innings.
Holte started the second game for the Terriers and was roughed up early. UMaine senior left fielder Dagmar Ralphs started a two-out rally in the bottom of the first by hitting a high fly ball to right that was lost in the sun and dropped, leaving Ralph at second base with what was ruled a double. Junior right fielder Jessica Burk singled down the right field line, scoring Ralphs, and Obert followed her up with a double to the gap in right center field that knocked Fogel and Burk in.

Obert scored on an error in center field to give UMaine an early 4-0 lead.

“One thing we have really been punching home is that in order to win you have to have fun,” Ralphs said. “If we have fun and trust ourselves, knowing that we are good ballplayers, that’s when we start to shine.”

Bogdanovich took the mound for the Black Bears and cruised through six innings of work, fanning seven and allowing just three hits to improve her record to 4-5. Holte got the loss for the Retrievers, falling to 14-7 on the season.

The Black Bears struck again in the fourth when Dagmar Ralphs knocked in freshman shortstop Felicia Lennon and junior second baseman Kristen Koslosky with a double to straightaway center, prompting a pitching change for the Terriers. Holte was relieved by freshman Nicole Casagrande, who induced a pop fly to the shortstop that was dropped, allowing Ralphs to score and giving the Black Bears a 7-0 advantage.

UMaine ended things in the bottom of the sixth due to the mercy rule. Burk started things with a double down the left field line and advanced to third on a fielder’s choice. Obert hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Burk for the winning run.

Obert had a strong game, going 2-3 at the plate with three RBI and a run scored. Dagmar Ralphs also drove in a pair of runs, scoring two herself.

The Terriers edged out the Black Bears in the rubber game 7-6 largely due to a big first inning and solid relief pitching from Holte.
UMBC got out to a strong start, loading the bases with three straight walks. Senior pitcher Hannah Hill started the game for the Black Bears but was quickly replaced by redshirt-senior Kylie Sparks, who inherited three baserunners with zero outs.

Sparks struck out Bertoglio, but Lane laced a double into right center field to score O’Neill and O’Malley. Jackson knocked in Lane with an infield single and scored on a single from Olesky to give the Terriers a 5-0 lead.

“We gave up too many walks,” Coutts said. “We gave up too many unearned runs in the beginning of the game, and it’s always hard to keep fighting when you are down by that many, but I am proud of our team today.”
The Black Bears responded quickly in the bottom of the inning.

Koslosky walked to lead things off and advanced to second thanks to a sacrifice bunt from Lennon. Dagmar Ralphs beat out a ground ball to the shortstop, putting runners on first and third. Burk cut the Terriers lead down to 5-3 with a three-run blast to right field for her third home run of the season. UMBC extended their lead to 7-3 in the fourth. O’Neill launched a two-run homer to left field, scoring Olesky with her team-leading eighth home run of the season. After O’Malley singled, Bogdanovich was brought in to pitch for the Black Bears and held the Terriers hitless through the 3.2 innings she pitched.

The Black Bears were not ready to go down without a fight and showed their resiliency as a team in the fourth and fifth innings. Fogel led off the fourth with a double over the head of the center fielder and scored on a single from Harvey.

Koslosky led off the fifth with a walk before Lennon singled and stole second to put runners at second and third. Dagmar Ralphs grounded a single through the right side to score them both and cut the lead to 7-6.

Holte once again came into the game for the Terriers, replacing Lane. The Black Bears managed to load the bases with two outs but failed to score again.

Lane was awarded the win, improving to 6-6 while Holte picked up her second save of the year. Hill was tagged with the loss to drop to 6-3.

UMaine hosts Husson University Tuesday before traveling for a doubleheader at Harvard University on Thursday. The Terriers return home for a three-game series against the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.

After a tumultuous year in which they struggled to schedule games and remain competitive, the University of Maine women’s club rugby team has found a home in the New England Small College Rugby Conference.

The NESCRC, founded in the spring of 2012, accepted UMaine last weekend as the eighth member to the young conference. It is comprised of Division-II teams from the all over New England. UMaine will be the first Division-I college to compete in the NESCRC.

“There was a larger Division-I league that [had] a lot of larger teams like [the University of New Hampshire and the University of Connecticut],” senior and former president Brianna Duhaime said. “That is why NESCRC is perfect for us because it is a smaller program.”

Women’s rugby has a strong tradition at UMaine, beginning nearly 25 years ago. Rugby conferences are relatively new to the area. The regular season takes place in the fall, but they play two large New England tournaments in the spring.

“This is a great opportunity for our team,” said newly elected Pres. Caitlin Morgan. “This year we will be in a league with teams we know will be on our level, so we will have some good competition.”

The acceptance into the NESCRC comes after a difficult year for the Black Bears. The team fell between the cracks of the Division-I American Collegiate Rugby Association and NESCRC, but thanks to help from NESCRC member Bowdoin University and their coach, Mary Beth Matthews, they were able to find a place to consistently play this fall.

“Last summer, when they were forming the [conference], they assumed we would be in NESCRC last year,” Duhaime said. “Mary Beth knew us and our situation and as much as she wanted to make room for us, it was too close to do it. We worked with her to get games last fall – to get teams on their bye weeks or whenever we could [schedule] games.”

The team also worked with Norwich University head coach Austin Hall to coordinate games with teams from the ACRA to schedule games with bigger teams.

There were many challenges last fall that faced the Black Bears due to their lack of a consistent schedule. For one, they could not get a good idea of what kind of team they were or their skill level and had trouble teaching the sport to those learning it for the first time.
“We recruited a lot,” Duhaime said. “We used that season as a building [block] to work on little things that we might not have been able to do if we had a full schedule. It has just made us more hungry for next year.”

The rugby team’s first real test this spring came at the Beast of the East Tournament, which will be followed up by their second and final tournament of the spring in the beginning of May. With very little experience with this group of players, it will serve as a benchmark for the future of the program.

“Beast of the East is this weekend, which is very exciting,” Morgan said. “The team changes a lot so the team we bring down this weekend may be different than the next tournament. It will tell us a lot.”

The Black Bears split their matches on the first day of play, losing to the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth before beating the College of the Holy Cross. They were awarded a win when Brandeis University forfeited Sunday morning before falling in the tournament semifinals to the Wentworth Institute of Technology.

The Black Bears graduate six seniors this year, so the team they field in the fall will be very different from the one they have this spring. But with a consistent schedule and growing interest in the sport, things are looking up for UMaine’s women’s rugby team.
Team members include graduate student Dawn Sullivan; seniors Duhaime, Erin Feeley, Grace Hubbard, Joelle Joyce, Ellin Hale, Elizabeth Anderson and Morgan; juniors Meagan Doucette, Melissa Byrnes, Nikole Robbins, Sophia Scontras and Autumn Murtagh; sophomores Courtney McCrodden, Michaela Price, Jennifer Davis, Andrea Praul, Carolyn Fox, Samantha Werzanski, Molly Nevins, Kate McCleod and Monica Keating; and freshmen Kesley Moon and Mollie Pfahler.

The University of Maine softball team dropped two of three at the University at Albany this past weekend, losing their first contest Saturday before splitting a doubleheader Sunday afternoon.

The Black Bears fall to 13-11 on the season and 5-3 in conference while the Great Danes improve to 12-7 and 3-2 in America East play.

MacFawn blanks Black Bears in game one

The Black Bears, who had scored at least nine runs per game during their four-game winning streak, struggled at the plate in Saturday’s contest. Albany senior starter Brittany MacFawn went the distance, allowing just two hits in seven innings of work and fanning 10 batters to improve to 6-4 on the season.

UMaine junior starter and America East Pitcher of the Week Alexis Bogdanovich struggled, going all six innings but surrendering four runs on nine hits.

Bogdanovich and MacFawn kept things quiet offensively for both teams through three innings before Albany senior first baseman Charlise Castro homered to left field, scoring senior infielder Emily Ostrom and giving the Great Danes a 2-0 lead.

The Black Bears threatened in the top of the fifth when freshman third baseman Shelby Obert reached second on an error and freshman first baseman Maddie Moore struck out but advanced to first when the ball got past the catcher, moving Obert to third. Freshman pinch runner Chloe Douglass advanced to second on a fielder’s choice before MacFawn settled down and retired her next two batters to end the threat.

Albany junior left fielder Vicky McFarland led off the bottom half of the inning by going yard, extending the lead to 3-0. Sophomore center fielder Kelly Costello doubled to left field and scored on an error by freshman left fielder Samantha Ralphs, securing the Albany victory. Costello led the Great Danes offensively, tallying two hits and scoring a run.

Late rally gives UMaine first victory of weekend before Albany takes rubber game

UMaine senior starter Hannah Hill scattered eight hits in a nine-inning effort in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader, striking out 11 and improving her record to 6-1 on the season. Hill leads the Black Bears with 44 strikeouts this year.

Albany threatened early when junior center fielder Vicky McFarland singled to right field and advanced to third on a steal and a fielder’s choice. Sophomore shortstop Maggie Cocks reached on an infield single and made it to second but failed to score when Hill settled down and struck out Castro to retire the side.

MacFawn was a workhorse on the weekend, going the distance and giving up three runs, two earned on eight hits and fanning 10.

Timely pitching was the key to the game for both teams as neither was short on opportunities. The Black Bears left eight runners on base while Albany left 11, including three in the ninth.

The Great Danes loaded the bases in the third but Hill forced Cocks to ground out and fielded a fly ball from Castro to keep Albany off of the scorecard.

Hill retired the next nine batters she faced between the fourth and sixth innings, keeping Albany bats quiet and sending the game to extra innings.

The Black Bears finally got to MacFawn in the ninth, breaking her 15-inning scoreless streak.

Junior center fielder EmJ Fogel led off with a walk and Obert laid down a successful bunt to put runners on first and second. Freshman catcher Rachel Harvey reached on an error at third, scoring Fogel. Senior third baseman Jean Stevens ripped a double to center field, knocking in Obert and advancing Harvey to third. Ralphs took the Great Danes by surprise by laying down a successful bunt, scoring Harvey and giving the Black Bears a 3-0 lead.

Albany managed to put the winning run at the plate when they loaded the bases with two outs, but Costello flew out to end the game.

The Great Danes took the rubber match Sunday afternoon, led by freshman catcher Elizabeth Snow’s two-hit, three-RBI effort.

Bogdanovich picked up her second loss of the weekend, giving up five runs in two and a third innings of work.

The Great Danes got to her in the bottom of the first when Costello homered to left field before Cocks singled, stole second and scored on a single by Snow to give Albany an early 2-0 lead.

UMaine responded in the top of the second when Harvey doubled to the gap in right center and was knocked in by junior first baseman Nikki Byron. The Black Bears loaded the bases with two outs but the rally ended when freshman shortstop Felicia Lennon grounded out to third.

Albany struck again in the bottom of the third when McFarland reached on an infield single and stole second, advancing to third on a single from Costello. Costello stole second to get in scoring position and both baserunners scored when Snow ripped a double down the left field line.

Snow’s double prompted a pitching change for the Black Bears. Senior Kylie Sparks relieved Bogdonavich and allowed Snow to cross the plate on a sacrifice fly, giving Albany a 5-1 lead before Sparks recorded the final out of the inning.

The Black Bears scored twice with two outs in the top of the fourth thanks to some small ball.

Ralphs singled to left field and reigning America East Player of the Week junior second baseman Kristen Koslosky got on with a bunt. Both scored when reigning America East Rookie of the Week Felicia Lennon doubled down the left field line. Junior right fielder Jessica Burk followed her up with a single up the middle, scoring Lennon and Koslosky to cut the deficit to 5-4.

Albany wasted no time responding when junior left fielder Alexa Toole led off the bottom of the inning with a homerun to put the exclamation point on the weekend. Hill finished out the remainder of the game on the mound and did not allow a hit in her three innings of work, but UMaine was not able to get anything going offensively and fell 6-4.

The Black Bears return home for their home opener against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County in a three-game set starting with a doubleheader next Saturday. Albany hosts Binghamton University Tuesday before traveling to Bryant University for a doubleheader this Wednesday.

The University of Maine women’s basketball team are two games above .500 for the first time since Dec. 11 following a pair of wins over America East opponents this past week.

The Black Bears took out the University of Vermont thanks to some hot shooting Wednesday night before handling Binghamton University Sunday afternoon. UMaine — 13-11 overall, 7-4 in conference play — now sit in fourth place in America East, just 1.5 games behind second-place University of New Hampshire and one game back of third-place Stony Brook University.

The Black Bears will face a road test against fifth-place Hartford University Feb. 12 before returning home to take on conference-leading University at Albany at the Cross Insurance Center Feb. 16.

Black Bears break another record, top Vermont 69-52

Sophomore forward Liz Wood and senior guard Ashleigh Roberts poured in 34 combined points to lead the UMaine to a 69-52 road win over the University of Vermont Wednesday evening.

The Catamounts fall to 6-17 and 3-7 in the America East with their third straight loss. Vermont is now 3-12 over their last 15 contests.

The Black Bears’ five 3-pointers in the contest set a new team record for most 3s in a season with 177 on the year, surpassing the previous mark of 172.

UMaine jumped out to an early 20-9 lead thanks to 7 points from Wood and 4 from Roberts. Vermont sophomore guard Kylie Atwood sparked the Catamounts’ offense with a 3-pointer that ignited a 13-2 run to tie the game at 22 with just over five minutes to play in the half.

The Black Bears responded to the run with a layup from sophomore center Anna Heise and a 3-pointer from freshman guard Sigi Kozar. Roberts went on to score the last five points of the half to put the Black Bears up 34-26.

The Catamounts struggled during the first half, shooting just 34.6 percent from the field. They were kept alive by their 5-9 3-point shooting effort and their 19-11 rebounding edge. Vermont came into the game with the second highest 3-point field goal percentage in the league, trailing only the Black Bears in that category.

Roberts led the Black Bears through the first half with 11 points while Wood chipped in 9 of her own. As a team they shot 58.3 percent from the field.

Vermont’s offense did not get any better in the second half, allowing Wood and redshirt senior guard Cherrish Wallace to take the first four points on a layup and a pair of free throws.

The Catamounts cut the lead to eight on a pair of free throws from freshman guard Kristina White, but a layup from Wood and a steal from Roberts that led to an easy layup extended the Black Bear lead back to 12 and forced a UVM timeout.

UMaine sophomore guard Chantel Charles made a layup out of the timeout, followed by a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Sophie Weckstrom that put the Black Bears up 48-32.

Vermont senior guard Sam Simononis stopped the bleeding with a 3-pointer but Weckstrom cancelled that out promptly with a 3 of her own at the other end.

The Black Bears led by as much as 24 in the half, but the Catamounts never gave in. Vermont scored 9 points in the final three minutes of the game, but it was not enough to come back.

The Catamounts were led by 12 points from Simononis and 10 from Atwood. Junior forward Niki Taylor barely missed a double-double with a game-high 12 rebounds and 9 points. White added 11 points and a pair of rebounds off the bench.

The victory broke the Black Bears’ eight-game losing streak in the Patrick Gymnasium dating back to the 2004-2005 season.

Weckstrom leads UMaine past Binghamton 65-53

ORONO — Wearing pink uniforms in support of breast cancer research, the Black Bears bested Binghamton 65-53 at the Cross Insurance Center Sunday afternoon.

The Bearcats have struggled this year and extended their losing streak to nine as their record falls to 4-20 overall and 1-10 in America East play.

The Black Bears have now won nine more games than last year, more than any other team in the nation.

Weckstrom shot 6-8 from the field and 4-6 from beyond the 3-point arc for a game-high 16 points. Wood chipped in 13 points with a team-high six boards and three assists.

The Black Bears jumped out to an early 7-2 lead in the first five minutes thanks to a Weckstrom 3-pointer and a layup from Roberts off of a pass threaded through the Bearcats defense.

A short jumper from Binghamton junior forward Sherae Swinson cut the lead down to one, but Wood responded with a corner 3 to jump-start a 19-2 Black Bear run. Swinson would go on to score a team-high 13 points and grab three boards.

Roberts scored five straight as part of the run, capping off her scoring for the half by missing a 3-pointer but hustling to get her own rebound and laying it in.

Swinson hit a pair of free throws to bring the score to 26-10, but back-to-back 3s from Charles extended the Black Bears lead.

Binghamton sophomore guard Kandace Newry had 4 points as the half wore down but the Black Bears still led 33-18 at the break.

“In the first half I do not think we came out with the kind of energy that we should have and that is something that this team will have to get past as we grow,” UMaine head coach Richard Barron said.

Binghamton struggled shooting the ball in the first half, hitting just 5-28 from the field but sinking all eight of their free throws. The Black Bears got off to a slow start but ended up shooting 45 percent from the field and 4-12 from beyond the arc.

“I think we started playing off our own defense better,” Weckstrom said. “A lot of my 3s came off of somebody else’s screens, so I think we just started running our offense better.”

The Black Bears extended their lead to 20 early in the second half on a 3-pointer from Weckstrom and a pair of free throws from sophomore forward Mikaela Gustafsson.

The Bearcats cut the lead to 14 after senior guard Stephanie Jenson hit a long 2-pointer and Swinson converted a layup on an assist from Jenson.

Weckstrom did not allow that score to last, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers and a short jumper to give the black Bears a 57-31 advantage.

The Bearcats scored the last seven points of the game but it was not enough to climb back into it.

UMaine shot the ball well on the day, with 41.1 percent clip from the field and a 40 percent effort from beyond the arc. The Bearcats shot better in the second half, going 11-22 to finish the day shooting 32 percent from the field.

Wood and freshman forward Sheraton Jones pulled down six rebounds apiece to give the Black Bears 38 on the day, five more than Binghamton’s 33.

The Black Bears blocked five shots on the day, the first time that has happened since Nov. 18, 2012. Charles led them with three swats in the contest.

“I’m happy with the game, happy for the win and very, very happy with the cause and the turnout of everybody in the community,” Barron said.

The Black Bears raised over $30,000 for cancer research leading up to Sunday’s game.