The University of Maine’s field hockey team never expected to be in this situation.
After winning or sharing the America East title the previous three seasons and hosting the AE Tournament the last two, the Black Bears enter Thursday’s 3 p.m. AE quarterfinal game against arch-rival New Hampshire as the sixth seed.
The tournament is being held at UMass Lowell.
UMaine is 7-11 overall and its 3-5 conference record marks the first time the Black Bears have had a losing league record since 2012. Included in those losses was a 6-0 shellacking at UNH.
UMaine had a 50-10 regular season record in America East the previous eight seasons.
Fifth-year player and captain Hannah Abbott said there was a “combination of things” that led to UMaine’s uncharacteristic campaign.
“Some teams in the conference have stepped up. Lowell is having its best season ever, UNH is on a high and Albany is always good,” said Abbott. “And we have a lot of young people playing. We have shown our youth.”
Fifth-year midfielder Madisyn Hartley of Pittsfield said losing players like 2022 AE Offensive Player of the Year Chloe Walton, 2021 Goalkeeper of the Year Mia Borley and all-conference forward Sydney Meader from Boothbay Harbor has “had something to do with it as well.”
But Abbott and Hartley pointed out that unlike in previous years, they won’t have any pressure on them going into the playoffs.
“And that can really be to our advantage,” said Abbott. “There’s no target on our backs.
“All of us older players want to keep playing. We’re going to give it our all and try to really surprise them. Hopefully, they will underestimate us. If we can shock them early, we can gain momentum,” said Abbott. “We like playing at Lowell and we’ve been in the playoffs before so we know what to do.”
UMaine had four players named to the All-America East squad this season in second-team selections Hartley, sophomore forward Mallory Mackesy and senior back Poppy Lambert and All-Rookie team choice Saylor Kuefler, a forward. Olivia Geniti was an All-Academic pick.
Mackesy led the team in scoring with 12 goals and seven assists; Kuefler notched five goals and two assists; Lambert had four goals and two assists and Hartley had a goal and two assists and was a solid all-around midfielder.
UNH, 12-6 overall and 6-2 in the conference, has been led by twins Tasmin (18 goals, 5 assists) and Tamera Cookman (8 & 7) along with Nicole Poulakis (13 & 11). All are sophomores.
