ORONO — University of Maine women’s basketball head coach Richard Barron has been known for his commitment to community service and charity. He showed just how far he was willing to go Sunday afternoon by dyeing his hair pink for the Black Bears’ contest against Binghamton University and then shaving it off after the game to raise money for breast cancer research.

The pink hair was courtesy of the third annual “Play4Kay” game that Barron started implementing three years ago when he was named head coach. Barron issued the challenge to the UMaine community to raise $10,000 for the charity and promised that if the money was raised before the game, he would dye his head for the game and shave it all off after.

“In general, our team really looks to give back to the community and our coach does a good job leading us in that,” said sophomore forward Liz Wood. “This is a great example. I do not think there is another coach that would dye his hair pink and then shave it in front of everyone.”

The Play4Kay game is a part of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Sandra Kay Yow coached the women’s basketball team at North Carolina State University for 34 years. Yow was 737-344 during her tenure and guided the 1988 U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning women’s basketball team.

First diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987, Yow fought off breast cancer twice through the years and started the Kay Yow Cancer Fund to help fund research and allow more cancer patients access to experimental drugs and clinical trials.

Barron also knew Kay Yow through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and his time as an assistant coach for NC State.

Yow started the Kay Yow Cancer Fund in 2007. She passed away in 2009 fighting her third bout with breast cancer.

To date, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund has raised over $8 million and $2.5 million from the Play4Kay games. After Sunday’s game, the women’s team alone has raised over $30,000.

“It means a lot to all of us and we think that we are fighting for a cure and we are trying to raise money for a great charity,” Barron said.

There was an emotional moment at halftime when cancer survivors in attendance were invited to the court and greeted with a standing ovation from the crowd. They each held signs with the number of years they had fought cancer and quotes from Kay Yow.

“On a personal level, two of my friends had their wives die of breast cancer,” Barron said. “One of them was a teammate of mine at Kenyon College, so it is a cause that has been very close to me.”

Barron gave a rousing speech after the game, thanking all who donated and were a part of raising money and awareness for the event.

“I want you all to know that every single one of you does things every day that touch people’s lives, and you may not know their ramifications, but they are profound.”

The Black Bears have already won nine more games than last season, which likely factored into the money raised.

“I think that now we are more in the spotlight and we have a few more wins people will definitely be donating more now that they have heard about what we have been doing,” senior guard Ashleigh Roberts said.

The game drew a season-high crowd of 2,087. Reeds Brook Middle School raised nearly $800 for the cause as well and presented the check before play resumed for the second half. The Play4Kay game raised the most money out of the three previous Play4Kay games at UMaine and will go a long way in the fight to find a cure for a disease that has affected more than 2.8 million women in the U.S. alone.

As a freshman at Baylor University in 2008, Cherrish Wallace had high hopes for her basketball career. Those hopes and dreams were put on hold after just 11 games when she suffered a stress fracture in her leg.

The devastating injury required a titanium rod in her right tibia, causing her pain and discomfort through the rehabilitation process.

Wallace never gave up on her dream, but does admit there were times when the outlook was bleak.

“It was never out of sight in my mind, but I did not know if I could play college ball again,” Wallace said. “I always wanted to but had questions in my head about if I would get to play.”

Wallace graduated from Baylor in 2012 with a degree in general studies and education.

Now, five years after the injury, Wallace is back on the hardwood thanks to a familiar face that she knew from her time at Baylor. University of Maine head coach Richard Barron was formerly an assistant coach at Baylor where he helped recruit Wallace originally. When Wallace knew she wanted to play again, she knew who she could reach out to.

“A little bit of loyalty lies in that,” Wallace said. “He recruited me at Baylor and when I knew I wanted to play again I gave him a call. Even though it wasn’t easy, he made it possible. A lot of credit goes to Coach Barron getting me here.”

Even when Wallace was physically able to play again, there were still hurdles to get back on the court. It took until Jan. 1, nearly halfway through the Black Bears’ season, to get a waiver from the NCAA.

Now that she is back on the court, UMaine’s new point guard has made an instant impact. She has started five of the six games she has played in and averaged 10.8 points and six assists per game.

Despite her success in basketball, her biggest adjustment has come off of the court. Born and raised in Pasadena, Calif., Wallace could not be much farther from home than Orono, Maine but says she has found comfort in her teammates.

“It’s been great but it’s a different kind of experience,” she said. “I’m a California kid, so the weather is very different. My teammates have really done a great job taking me in and making me a part of their family.”

From California to Texas and now to Maine, basketball has given Wallace the opportunity to see parts of the country and world she had not even imagined. The adjustments have not always been easy, but they have been part of her life for quite a few years.

“The crazy thing is I have been everywhere because of a little old basketball — I have been all around the world. The big thing this time is the weather, but after moving around so much I have really learned to adjust fast to everything.”

With all of that moving and the pressure put on Wallace to perform on the court, she finds comfort in quiet time.

“Prayer is all I really depend on these days and it takes me away from all of my problems. That alone time praying is what gets me through. My family and friends are also a huge part of that.”

With the Black Bears in the midst of a single-season turnaround in which they have already doubled their win total from last year with 10 games still left to play, Wallace has added some experience and intensity to an already solid team.

“For myself, as a player I want to help set those team goals and win. I want to get somewhere that they haven’t been in a while, whether that is a big tournament or even winning the conference.”

This season will be Wallace’s last year of eligibility, but her basketball goals do not end with the season.

“If I don’t go pro here or overseas I want to go back home or to California doing what I love, which is working with kids. I am really not happy unless I am making a difference.”

Wallace’s time at UMaine has given new life to her dream of playing basketball. With the homestretch of her season — and possibly her basketball career — looming, she will be sure to make the best of it.

The University of Maine women’s basketball team remains in fourth place in America East following two games this week. The Black Bears took care of conference newcomer UMass-Lowell on the road Thursday night before losing decidedly to Stony Brook at the Cross Insurance Center Sunday afternoon.

UMaine is now an even 10-10 on the year, 4-3 against conference foes. They’ll look for their fifth win in seven games when they host rival University of New Hampshire at the Cross Insurance Center Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

Bodine shoots Black Bears to 75-66 win over UML

Sophomore guard Lauren Bodine drained six 3-pointers, just one away from tying the single-game school record, as she led the University of Maine women’s basketball team to a 75-66 victory over the University of Massachusetts-Lowell Riverhawks Thursday night.

Lowell, who is in its inaugural season as a member of the America East conference, falls to 2-16 overall and 1-6 in conference. This contest marked the first ever meeting between the two programs.

The River Hawks have struggled since entering conference play, beginning the year on a 12-game losing streak and ranking last in scoring defense. They average 64.3 points per game, good enough for fourth in the conference.

The Black Bears started fast with an 11-2 run that featured two 3-pointers from Bodine and one from redshirt senior Cherrish Wallace. Bodine went on to score a game-high 20 points to go along with four rebounds and four steals. Wallace collected her second double-double of the season with a career-high 18 points and 11 assists.

UML sophomore forward Lindsey Doucette did not let the game get away from them. She spearheaded a 12-2 run over the next eight minutes to give the Riverhawks a one-point advantage halfway through the first. The 6-foot-2-inch Doucette had her way in the paint, tallying three straight layups for 6 points during the run. Doucette finished with 17 points on 8-17 shooting and grabbed 13 boards.

UMaine senior guard Ashleigh Roberts scored 6 of her 18 points as the half drew to a close. Two of those points came off of a steal from Bodine that led to a pass from Wallace, resulting in two successful free-throw attempts.

The Black Bears looked poised to go into the half up by 11, but Lowell junior guard Jasmine McRoy connected on a 3-pointer as she was fouled before tacking on her free throw to cut the deficit to seven going into the break.

McRoy and Wallace led their respective teams in the first half with 11 points apiece.

The Black Bears started strong once again in the second half courtesy of five quick points from Wallace. The two teams went shot for shot until 3-pointers from UMaine sophomore guard Chantel Charles and Bodine and a jump shot from freshman Sigi Kolzar put the Black Bears up by 14 with just over 13 minutes to play.

Bodine and Roberts carried the Black Bears down the stretch, scoring 16 combined points in the last 11:39.

The Black Bears shot the ball well once again, connecting on 52 percent of their tries from the field and 50 percent from 3. They were outrebounded 38-36 but scored 25 points off of turnovers to Lowell’s 18.

Wallace, Bodine and Roberts all had double-digit points for the Black Bears while Roberts added a team-high eight boards. Charles scored 8 points off of the bench with three assists and three boards.

Doucette took down 13 rebounds to go along with 17 points for the Riverhawks. McRoy grabbed eight rebounds and led the team with 19 points to add to sophomore guard Shannon Samuels’ 16.

Seawolves stifle Black Bear shooters, close in on conference-leading Albany

UMaine suffered a tough 65-49 loss to the Stony Brook University Seawolves Sunday afternoon.

The Black Bears slip back to .500 on the season at 10-10 and 4-3 in America East play, while the second-place Seawolves improve to 15-5 overall and 6-1 in conference play.

Stony Brook entered the game leading the all-time series 15-13. They have held opponents to just 60.7 points per game while averaging 64.4 offensively this season.

The Seawolves jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead, but the Black Bears did not waste much time responding. Sophomore forward Mikaela Gustafsson hit a jumper before finishing at the rim a couple of possessions later to cut the deficit to one.

Stony Brook senior guard Chikilra Goodman jumpstarted the Seawolves, scoring six straight points and prompting UMaine to use their first timeout of the game.

A 3-pointer from UMaine sophomore guard Sophie Weckstrom and a 3-point play from senior forward Ashleigh Roberts brought the Black Bears back to within three points with 9:44 to play in the half.

The Black Bears continued to fight but every shot they hit was answered by the Seawolves.

Weckstrom drilled two more 3-pointers as the half wound down, but Goodman and junior guard Jessica Ogunnorin helped extend the Stony Brook lead to 32-20 at the half. Stony Brook finished the half on a 15-4 run in the final seven minutes.

The Black Bears were led in scoring by Weckstrom and her trio of 3-pointers for 9 points. The Seawolves got a strong first half from Goodman, who scored 10 points on an efficient 5-7 shooting.

Roberts got things going for the Black Bears in the second half with a layup and two free throws to cut the deficit to eight.

The Seawolves would respond quickly, upping their lead to 18 before UMaine sophomore guard Sigi Koizar’s drive through several defenders for a layup and a foul brought the Black Bears within 15.

The Stony Brook defense stepped up after Koizar’s layup, allowing the Black Bears just two points through the next 10 minutes to extend their lead to 56-29.

“Our offense was just bad today,” UMaine head coach Richard Barron said. “It was not at all what we hoped it would be. Today was a day that we just did not shoot the ball well.”

UMaine sophomore forward Liz Wood struggled in the first half, but would not give in with her team down 25 with six minutes to play. Wood scored six straight points thanks to four free throws.

The Black Bears still fell 65-49 despite a 12-5 spurt to close the game.

“It’s inexcusable,” Wood said. “Our coaches gave us a great game plan, so I think it’s really on us that we didn’t execute it like we were supposed to.”

Wood led the Black Bears with 15 points and five rebounds while Roberts chipped in 9 points and two assists. The Black Bears struggled from the field, shooting just 30.8 percent from the floor and 18.2 percent from beyond the 3-point line. On the other side, the Seawolves shot the ball well, shooting 63.5 percent from the field and 61.7 from 3.

The Black Bears are the best 3-point shooting team in America East, but were held to just four 3s, three of which came in the first half. Stony Brook is the second-ranked 3-point shooting defense in the conference and used that to their advantage.

“They are the top shooting 3-point team in the league and they have so many players that can shoot 3s,” Stony Brook head coach Beth O’Doyle said. “It seems like when one gets hot they all get hot, so we really tried as a group to take that away and make them put the ball on the floor.”

The Seawolves lead the conference in rebounding and capitalized on that advantage, taking down 45 boards to UMaine’s 30. Stony Brook was led by eight rebounds from sophomore forward Brittany Snow and six from junior forward Sabre Proctor.

Stony Brook returns home to take on the University at Albany Thursday night at 7 p.m.

When it comes to paying college athletes, everybody has an opinion. Facts outweigh opinions, however, and the fact is that paying college athletes would be both immoral to the athletes and detrimental to university athletic departments.

There is no feasible way to pay every college athlete a stipend, as some have suggested. The argument for a stipend is to set aside some of the revenue from the highest-grossing teams at the school and spread that wealth between all the athletes at the price of $2,000 per student. This is simply impractical as the revenue from those high-grossing teams — usually football, basketball or hockey — are already redistributed throughout universities’ athletic teams.

This redistributed money is used to pay for travel costs, uniforms and field maintenance. Without these funds, less spotlight-heavy teams such as field hockey and cross country would bear the brunt of the blowback. Unable to continue operations, it would be nearly impossible for universities to keep funding as many teams as they do now.

Athletic departments themselves very rarely generated enough money to cover their expenses in 2012. According to a USA Today Sports, just 23 of 228 athletic departments were able to cover their own expenses last year. This means that 205 athletic departments had to receive subsidies to cover their operating costs. If there was an excess of money to share, there is little to no doubt it should go to the student athletes, but there simply isn’t enough money to go around.

So if we cannot give stipends to every student athlete, how about just the ones that bring in money for their school? I mean, isn’t it fair that the ones bringing publicity and income to the school be given more than those that play sports out of the spotlight?

Well, to put it simply: no. Just because a football player is featured on SportsCenter, it does not give them an edge over the cross country runner who put the same amount of work and dedication into his or her sport. The football player may bring in more money for the university, but it would be immoral to give one player precedence over another when they both gave back everything they could to the school. That cross country runner has put in just as much time as that quarterback, so the quarterback is no more deserving of extra money than the cross country runner is.

Not only is it immoral to pay one player and not another, it is also illegal.

Title IX states that: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

If that sounds exactly what would be happening here, that’s because it is. Seeing as men’s sports statistically bring in more money than women’s sports, they would get an advantage as far as getting paid for play. It wouldn’t take five minutes for a lawsuit to be filed, one that the NCAA would almost certainly lose, if an agreement to pay athletes based on revenue brought to the school was made.

It is not as if college athletes go unrewarded for their work.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that there is $902 billion in outstanding student loan debt in the United States today. A CNN study reports students graduating in 2012 found themselves averaging $35,200 in debt. Many student athletes, particularly those in high-revenue sports, are given substantial scholarships to play the sport they love. In some cases, they are given scholarships covering not just tuition but their schoolbook costs.

They are given the chance to continue playing the sport they love and are given financial assistance for school along with this opportunity.

Student athletes are valuable members of university communities, bringing pride and sometimes fame with their athletic prowess. While they bring so much to the school, in return they are given financial assistance and an opportunity to continue doing what they love, which is the way it should be.

The University of Maine’s women’s ice hockey team dropped two road games to the No. 8 Mercyhurst University Lakers this past weekend. The losses see the Black Bears’ record dip to 0-6-1 on the year, while Mercyhurst improves to 4-3-1.

Mercyhurst now holds a 9-1-0 advantage in the all-time series against the Black Bears since their first meeting in 2000. In their last five meetings, the Lakers have outscored UMaine 28-4.

Treacy’s 43 stops not enough, Lakers top UMaine 2-1

The Black Bears dropped their first game 2-1 in a tight contest Friday evening. The scoring took place exclusively in the first and second periods, with Mercyhurst scoring in the open period and the two squads netting matching goals in the middle stanza.

The Lakers drew first blood in the first period when sophomore forward Emily Janiga took a pass from senior forward Christine Bestland at the 2:38 mark before finding the twine to give Mercyhurst a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

UMaine has struggled with scoring this season, as they have been outscored 18-6 in their first six games, but with Mercyhurst freshman defender Paige Horton serving time in the penalty box for high sticking, UMaine scored to tie the game at one.

Early in the period, UMaine freshman defender Jessica Vallotton notched the first goal of her young career on the power play with assists coming from fellow freshman Emilie Brigham and senior forward Kayla Kaluzny. Brigham and Kaluzny are now tied for the team lead in points with three apiece.

The tally was the Black Bears’ first goal on the man advantage this season. Their special teams played well Friday night, holding Mercyhurst scoreless in their three power play chances while going 1-4 themselves with the extra skater.

The Lakers produced the eventual game-winner 12 minutes later when Bestland recorded her second point of the day on a goal assisted by fellow senior forward Christie Cicero and sophomore forward Maggie Rothgery.

Bestland is Mercyhurst’s career leader in games played, goals, assists and points.

UMaine was anchored by sophomore netminder Meghann Treacy, who stopped 41 of the 43 shots she faced in Friday’s contest. Treacy was named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week after making 50 saves against the University of New Hampshire in a 2-2 tie Oct. 20.

On the other side of the ice, Mercyhurst junior goaltender Amanda Makela produced 23 stops to secure the win for the Lakers.

Four third period goals lead Mercyhurst to 5-0 win

Mercyhurst capped off the weekend series with a decisive 5-0 win over the Black Bears Saturday afternoon.

The Lakers broke the scoreless tie 6:38 into the second frame after a quiet first period.

Sophomore Jenna Dingeldein scored her first point of the season with the assist going to Cicero and sophomore forward Kathy Donohue.

Mercyhurst took a 1-0 lead into the final period despite 26 saves from Treacy in the second.

Rothgery started a huge third period for Mercyhurst in which they peppered Treacy with 19 shots and recorded four goals. Rothgery recorded her second point of the season, assisted by a duo of seniors in Bestland and Kaleigh Chippy.

Mercyhurst struck again when Chippy got her second point of the game and fifth of the season to give the Lakers a 3-0 lead. The assists on the play went to Rothgery and Donohue, giving each their second point of the contest.

Two minutes later, Donohue put home a goal assisted by Cicero and sophomore forward Jaclyn Arbour. It was Arbour’s first assist of the season and Cicero’s fourth.

The final goal came on a connection between Mercyhurst’s two leading scorers when Bestland sent a pass to sophomore forward Emily Janiga who put it home for her sixth goal of the year.

The Lakers outshot the Black Bears by a 60-22 margin Friday afternoon.

Despite allowing five goals, Treacy saved a career-high 55 shots. Makela was perfect in goal for Mercyhurst, saving all 23 shots she was tasked with. Makela was a major factor in the weekend series, allowing just one goal in two games.

UMaine returns home for a big weekend slate against Hockey East rivals Northeastern University and the University of Connecticut Nov. 1 and 3, respectively. Mercyhurst will take to the road after an off weekend when they play Robert Morris University Nov. 8-9.

The University of Maine field hockey team saw their record fall to 9-8 after dropping a 2-1 decision to the University of California Golden Bears Sunday morning. The Golden Bears, 2-6 in road games this year, improved to 6-10.

California came on strong in the first half, scoring both of their goals. The first came at the 28:13 mark off of a penalty corner. Junior forward Lara Kruggel scored her seventh goal of the season, while sophomore defenseman Natalie Gibbens and senior midfielder Shannon Elmitt were credited with the assists.

Less than four minutes later, the Golden Bears added to their lead. Sophomore forward Nicole Wallstedt put one past UMaine sophomore goaltender Natasha Ford for her second goal of the year, with the assist going to senior forward Jordan O’Reilly.

With just over 11 minutes left in the half, UMaine junior forward Annabelle Hamilton took it upon herself to score an unassisted goal, cutting the deficit to one. The Golden Bears attempted to clear the ball, but Hamilton intercepted it and rifled a shot past junior netminder Courtney Hendrickson for her tenth goal of the year.

Hamilton has had a great season, leading the team in both points and goals with 10 and 26, respectively. She is part of a strong junior class that accounts for 59 of their 147 goals this season.

Though the second half came and went without either team lighting the scoreboard, it was not devoid of action.

In the last eight minutes, the Black Bear offense came alive. They put pressure on the California defense, peppering Hendrickson with five shots without allowing a shot on their own goal. Hendrickson stood strong, however, saving each shot she was tasked with.

Ford saved four of the six shots that came her way, while Hendrickson saved 9 of 10 to lead her team to a victory.

While their record is less than stellar, it does not reflect the talent of California. Only two of their losses were by more than two scores this season, with two of those defeats coming in double overtime.

The Golden Bears return home to play Stanford University in their final home game of the year on Thursday, Oct. 31.

The Black Bears will travel to Providence College Oct. 28 before returning home to finish off their regular season Nov. 2 in an American East game against the University of Vermont.

UMaine is within striking distance of the first-place University of New Hampshire Wildcats and will look to close the gap in the final two contests before postseason play begins.

The University of Maine field hockey team earned a loss and a win over the weekend to move to 6-5 overall on the season and 1-1 in America East. Their next contest comes against archrival University of New Hampshire Oct. 11.

No. 12 Albany bests UMaine 2-1 in America East showdown

The Black Bears fell to the No. 12 University at Albany Great Danes by a score of 2-1 Saturday afternoon in an America East matchup. Albany sees their record improve to 10-1 on the season and 1-0 in America East.

The Great Danes came out firing from the first whistle, putting three clean shots on goal in the first 2 minutes of play. While they were getting consistent good looks, UMaine sophomore goalie Natasha Ford stayed calm and turned away each shot to keep the game from getting away early.

Albany struck first when sophomore midfielder Fiori Van Rijswijk took a botched penalty corner and put it home to give Albany a 1-0 lead. It was Rijswijk’s 10th point and second goal of the season.

As the first half came to a close, freshman midfielder Paula Heuser danced effortlessly through several Black Bear defenders following a penalty corner to give Albany the 2-0 advantage. It was her ninth goal and 23rd point of the season, good enough for second on the team.

The Black Bears were sparked by letting up their second goal and responded by playing aggressive offense. They forced a penalty corner and capitalized.

The corner was passed twice and one-timed home right in front of the net by sophomore midfielder Nicole Sevey for her 14th point of the season. Fellow sophomore midfielder Marissa Shaw was credited with the assist on the tally that brought UMaine within one going into half time.

UMaine’s defense would buckle down in the second half to deny Albany an insurance marker, but could not find the twine themselves. The Great Danes pressed the attack in the second and held on for the 2-1 victory.

Heuser was named America East Rookie of the Week in early September when she notched a goal and three assists in her first two collegiate games.

“I got a good look and was glad to score for the team today,” Heuser said after the game.

Albany head coach Phil Sykes was happy with his team’s performance but knew going in it would be a tough contest.

“It’s tricky playing conference teams,” he said. “The game was a battle and back-and-forth for most of the time, but it was good to get the win.”

Albany has enjoyed a great season, outscoring their opponents by a 47-9 margin.

“Albany’s a very good, solid team,” said UMaine head coach Josette Babineaux. “We need to find the confidence to break through close games like this and play through the pressure.”

Aviani’s overtime marker propels UMaine past Bryant

UMaine bounced back on Sunday in dramatic fashion to topple the Bryant University Bulldogs on the heels of freshman forward Danielle Aviani’s overtime game-winner. Bryant falls to 7-4 on the season with the loss.

Extra time was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams fighting hard at both ends of the pitch. A little less than 6 minutes into the period, junior midfielder Annabelle Hamilton fed Aviani, who spun and fired a backhand past two Bryant defenders and senior goaltender Megan Hancock to clinch the Black Bear victory. Her teammates mobbed her in celebration before lining up to shake hands.

“It was an unreal feeling, overtime is very exciting. Even though we weren’t getting the bounces at times in the game it was great to get that goal at the end.”

Bryant came into the game on a two-game losing streak following a seven-game win streak and were looking to spark another string of Ws against UMaine.

The first half was dominated by the UMaine offense, but neither side could gain a real advantage and the score was tied at zero going into the half.

Four minutes into the second half, Bryant senior forward Kayleigh Ballantyne took a pass from junior midfielder Abigail Armstrong near the left side of the cage and sent it past Ford to break the scoring drought.

The Black Bears struck back 20 minutes later when junior forward Holly Stewart sent a pass to freshman midfielder Sydney Veljacic near the top of the circle. Veljacic shot a laser past Hancock for her second goal of the season to tie the game at one.

The Black Bears’ celebration was short-lived, however. Less than 2 minutes later, the Bulldogs scored off a penalty corner to retake the lead. Senior defender MaKayla Hancock put it home for her 10th goal of the season off an assist by Ballantyne, her second point of the afternoon.

Things looked bleak for the Black Bears as the clock wound down and fans started to pack up, thinking the game was settled.

With 14 seconds left they pushed the ball up the field and forced a penalty corner as time expired. The play clock had hit zero but they were allowed to finish out the corner.

In a last-ditch effort, junior forward Becca Paradee passed it around the circle and onto the stick of sophomore forward Cassidy Svetek, who scored to send the game to overtime. Aviani was given a helper on the game-tying goal before capping the scoring herself 5 minutes into overtime.

This was an important game for UMaine, as it came one day after their close loss to Albany.

“For a young group, they responded well to the pressure. We came back twice and then to go ahead in overtime showed great resilience,” Babineaux said after the game.

Bryant head coach Shaunessy Saucier, a UMaine graduate and former two-time field hockey captain, felt her team was in it the entire time but just couldn’t find a way to come out on top.

“Our plan was a small possession game and for the most part we did that. We made some mistakes and Maine capitalized on that,” she said.

The Bulldogs travel to New York to take on Siena College Oct. 11.

The No. 23 University of Maine Black Bears improved to 5-1 on the season and 2-0 in conference play Saturday by blowing out the No. 24 University of Delaware Blue Hens 62-28 Saturday afternoon. The Blue Hens fall to 4-2 on the season and 1-1 in Colonial Athletic Association play.

The Black Bears were led by the rushing attack of sophomore running back Nigel Jones, who ran for 107 yards on the day with two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass. It was his second straight game with at least 100 yards rushing and three total touchdowns.

UMaine gained 602 of total offense on Saturday to pace the Black Bears to their third-highest scoring total in school history.

Senior quarterback Marcus Wasilewski was 18-27 for 265 yards and three touchdowns through the air and added 20 yards on the ground.

UMaine scored four touchdowns in the first 10 minutes of play to establish control of the game early. Junior wide receiver Damarr Aultman caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from Wasilewski and Jones ran for a 7-yard score to put UMaine up by 14 in the opening stages.

The floodgates were opened just seconds later when Delaware junior wide receiver Michael Johnson fumbled on his own 20-yard line. It was recovered by sophomore defensive back Sherrod Baltimore and returned for UMaine’s third touchdown, giving them a 20-0 lead.

The point-after was blocked by the Blue Hens, but was quickly recovered by UMaine junior Jordan Thomas who ran it into the end zone for two points, the first time that has happened in UMaine football history.

Shortly after the bizarre return, senior defensive back Michael Mangiarelli picked off a pass and took it up the sideline 43 yards for a touchdown. Delaware responded at the end of the quarter junior wideout Michael Johnson’s touchdown reception.

The second quarter was far less eventful. Nigel Jones caught a 33-yard pass for a touchdown, his second of the season. The Blue Hens answered back just before the end of the half when junior quarterback Trent Hurley took it up the middle for a four-yard touchdown run.

The scoring in the third period belonged solely to UMaine, starting with a touchdown run from Nigel Jones and a 10-yard touchdown pass from Wasilewski to sophomore running back Isiah Jones. Up by a score of 41-15, the Black Bears pulled Wasilewski in favor of versatile senior John Ebeling, who already had 50 receiving yards on the day.

While Ebeling didn’t throw a pass, he facilitated the offense through a strong ground game. Ebeling scored on 29- and 7 runs at the end of the third, putting the home team up 62-15.

Delaware scored twice in the fourth quarter, but it was only enough to put a dent into the final score. Freshman running back Jalen Randolph scored on a 1-yard touchdown run that had its extra point attempt blocked, while fellow freshman Wes Hill took one home from 3 yards out. The final score stood at 62-28.

UMaine’s victory Saturday was the most points Delaware had allowed since 2007, and the most lopsided defeat between these two teams ever.

A difficult day for the Blue Hens was highlighted by senior Andrew Pierce’s 62 yards rushing, putting him over 4,000 yards for his collegiate career. Freshman Jack Randolph led Delaware with 137 yards, averaging a staggering 9.1 yards per carry.

Hurley had a rough day under center for the Blue Hens, going 11-23 for 120 yards and a touchdown while getting sacked four times. He also threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.

The game was dominated on the defensive side of the ball by UMaine, whose defensive line put pressure on Hurley all day. They only allowed 120 yards through the air, including a defensive touchdown.

“The whole defense came out and played great, run defense and pass defense really came together today,” said sophomore Trevor Bates. He led the defense with 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks, while freshman Chris Mulumba made eight stops himself.

Wasilewski spoke highly of his team, saying, “We were focused in at the beginning of the game and everybody executed very well and it showed. It was nice to see the team come together today.”

Delaware head coach Dave Brock was humble in defeat, taking much of the responsibility for the lopsided result on himself.

“The reality is they were the better team and the better-coached team tonight. It’s a disappointing loss for us,” he said.

“We asked our guys to take another step this week in terms of finding more about ourselves and what we can do on the field and they definitely did that,” said UMaine head coach Jack Cosgrove.

UMaine has a bye week next weekend. They host the College of William and Mary Oct. 19 at 12:30 p.m. during homecoming weekend, while Delaware returns home to take on the University of Albany Oct. 12.

University of Maine sophomore midfielder Nicole Sevey has been lighting up the field hockey pitch since she arrived at UMaine, and she doesn’t plan on slowing down.

If Sevey ever went through that shaky transition phase so common with new collegiate level athletes, we must have missed it: She had a great high school sports career, winning three state championships and four Eastern Maine championships at Skowhegan Area High School. She was named Miss Maine Field Hockey her senior year, a prestigious award given out to the player deemed to be the best in Maine. When she arrived at UMaine, she didn’t skip a beat, starting all 20 games in her freshman season to earn a unanimous selection for the America East All-Rookie team.

“I’d say one of the things I’m most proud of is making that transition from high school to college,” Sevey said. “The game speed is much faster and the skill level is higher. I got to play on some turf in high school, but mostly grass, so it was also a huge adjustment to play on turf in college.”

Though field hockey takes up a good chunk of her time here at UMaine, she still finds time to enjoy herself.

“It’s difficult having to balance field hockey and classes, but I love spending time with my teammates in my free time.”

Aside from her teammates, she finds peace off-campus with her family’s horses.

“My family has some horses boarded up a couple miles off campus, so when I can I will go out and ride them, it’s relaxing.”

Even with her busy schedule, she continues to excel in the classroom. Last year she was named to the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll, finishing her first semester with a 3.5 GPA. Sevey is a business management student and has some plans for her own business when she graduates.

“When I graduate, I would like to stay in Maine and start my own business. I’m not sure what I want to do, but that’s mostly what I’m interested in.”

Her sophomore season has gotten off to a roaring start, with 11 points in seven games, good enough for second on the team. She was named the America East Player of the Week after she scored five goals against Hofstra University in one game and tallied eight points in just one weekend of play.

“Getting America East Player of the Week was huge for me; it was a great honor,” Sevey said. “It was one of my biggest accomplishments.”

She attributes much of her success to her attitude on the field, specifically her confidence.

“Becoming a more confident player is what helped me a lot, especially when I was first trying to make the adjustment to college.”

As long as she keeps playing with the confidence she has, there is no doubt that she will continue to excel for the UMaine women’s field hockey team.

Sevey and her fellow Black Bears play at home against the University of Massachusetts-Lowell in their first conference matchup of the season Sept. 28 at 1 p.m.