The University of Maine women’s soccer team will be going to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
Junior midfielder Lara Kirkby rifled the ball into the top of the net with 5:28 left in the second overtime to give UMaine a 3-2 win in the America East championship game at Mahaney Diamond on Sunday afternoon.
Kristina Kelly took a corner kick and it bounced around in the penalty area before Kirkby scored off a half-volley.
UMaine improved to 11-1-6 and will find out Monday who it faces in the NCAA Tournament.
UMass Lowell wound up 5-7-7.
The River Hawks rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force overtime on a late first-half goal by graduate student midfielder Julia Edholm and her penalty kick with just 4:45 remaining in regulation after she was brought down in the penalty area by UMaine ne sophomore back Rebecca Grisdale.
Edholm found the upper right hand corner.
UMaine senior forward Kayla Kraemer and junior midfielder Lara Kirkby scored first-half goals for the Black Bears with Kirkby converting from the penalty spot.
The Black Bears were on the verge of taking a 2-0 lead into the intermission when UMass Lowell was awarded a free kick with 19 seconds left in the half.
The play was stopped because the UMass Lowell player who was fouled was injured and eventually walked off the field with her trainer.
Calliste Brookshire lofted the long free kick into the UMaine penalty area and Edholm was able to head it over the head of UMaine goalkeeper Kira Kutzinski with 13 seconds left.
It was Edholm’s seventh goal of the season.
Kraemer opened the scoring at the 14:50 mark.
Julie Lossius made a run down the left flank to the end line and sent a low cross into the area.
The ball pinballed off a River Hawk and a Black Bear in the six-yard box and Kraemer directed into the goal from close range.
It was her fourth of the season.
Kirkby made it 2-0 from the penalty spot after Burgess was issued a yellow card for a violent collision that injured UMaine’s Gillian Rovers, who was able to leave the field on her own power.
Kirkby calmly slotted the penalty kick into the corner to the left of Burgess.
Burgess made two terrific saves off Abby Kraemer in the first half, diving to her right to get her right hand on Kraemer’s bouncing shot that was labeled for the corner.
Later in the half, Kraemer took a pass on her chest with her back to goal, wheeled around and fired a bullet that was parried over the crossbar by Burgess.
UMaine had eight shots attempts in the first half and Burgess had three saves.
UMass Lowell had two shots and Kutznski wasn’t required to make a save.
