UMF’s McKenna Brodeur (18) watches as teammate Hadlee Yescott (20) and Northern Vermont-Lyndon’s EmmaLee Smith go for the ball in a North Atlantic Conference regular season finale at Leib Field in Farmington on Tuesday. (Tony Blasi/Sun Journal)
FARMINGTON — Two convincing wins against Northern Vermont-Lyndon means the University of Maine at Farmington’s men’s and women’s soccer teams will be making an appearance in the North Atlantic Conference playoffs this weekend.
The women’s squad topped the Hornets 5-0 and the men’s contingent glided off with a 6-0 shutout on a cold and raw Tuesday afternoon at Bob Leib Field.
“I think we’ve been saying to the team we are building. Every game is trying to build so that when we get to playoffs, we are where we want to be,” UMF women’s coach Molly Wilkie said. “I was really pleased with their effort, but we played the way we want to play, which is connect passes and build together.
“So I really thought it was a clean game. We didn’t win a lot of non-conference games, but we won the conference games we needed to win to put ourselves in. It looks like we are going to be third, so that is a testament to the players on our team who showed up every day, never got discouraged and kept playing away.
“I am really excited for them and if we can make a run here.”
It took only about 10 minutes to figure out that the Beavers (5-12) would be holding all the cards in this regular-season finale against NVL (6-8-1).
Sophomore forward McKenna Brodeur scored 10 minutes into the first half on an Ashley Gleason assist. Brodeur did that a lot during the game, turning in a hat trick.
Senior midfielder Lydia Roy followed with a goal just over five minutes latter, with the assist going senior midfielder Hadlee Yescott.
Brodeur struck again, using an assist from freshman forward Haley Fletcher and handing the Beavers a 3-0 lead at halftime.
The Beavers began the second half with Brodeur’s third goal. Yescott added another goal to top off UMF’s comfortable five-goal lead. Both goals were unassisted.
“Definitely a tough game, but I am proud of what we accomplished this season,” Northern Vermont-Lyndon coach Katy Ebner said. “I think they (Beavers) played really well. I am excited to see what they will do the rest of the season.
“We worked really hard this season on possession and moving our freshman around trying to figure out our best formation. I think it was an awesome game and a great way to end our season.”
The Beavers, who outshot the Hornets 28-1, spent the rest of the game containing NVL.
Men at work
The clouds started building and a cold rain began at the end of the first half in the men’s game, but the nasty weather didn’t put a damper on the Beavers’ offense.
With the help of corner kicks and some dazzling play in front of the NVL (1-14) net, the Beavers (5-11) slipped in four goals in the first half.
“Set pieces are a huge focus for us,” UMF men’s coach Nathan Kronewetter said. “If we are doing that, small details right on set pieces, that means we are tuned into the game and hopefully the game comes to us a little bit easier.
“Both teams had to leave it all out here on the field today. If we got the ball in the back of the net early, it was going to bode well in our favor.”
Nate Campbell set up Hunter Michaud for the first goal of the game. Michaud was followed by midfielder Andrew Longhurst’s goal on a Tristan Price assist.
Price also assisted on the Beavers’ third goal, by forward Iylas Abdi. Midfielder Sawyer Deroche scored the fourth goal without assistance, providing the Beavers with a 4-0 halftime lead.
The Beavers weren’t through yet and scored a pair of goals in the second half. The two unassisted goals came from forward Yusuf Mohamed and Abdi.
“I thought it was a sad ending to a happy career for six or seven guys,” NVL coach Rob Carey said. “In terms of tactically, we played into their strengths and really didn’t get to play in ours.
“Credit to them. They played really well today. They are very physical and big and they made us pay for that.”
UMF’s Lydia Roy (10) watches her shot go to the left of NVL goalie Victoria McCormack (1) as her teammates Kelsey Jacobs (23) and EmmaLee Smith (7) race in to try and stop Roy in a regular-season, North Atlantic Conference soccer finale at Leib Field in Farmington on a cloudy and cold Tuesday. (Tony Blasi/Sun Journal)
UMF’s Ashley Gleason (24) and Leah Stevens (2) eye the ball as NVL’s Teagan Carpenter (13) and Kelsey Jacobs (23) close in a regular-season, North Atlantic Conference soccer finale at Leib Field in Farmington on a cloudy and cold Tuesday. (Tony Blasi/Sun Journal)
UMF’s Andrew Longhurst (23) punches in a goal as teammate Ilyas Abdi (3) gets out Longhurst’s way as NVL’s Abukar Hassan (10), Derek Richardson (14) look on while goalie Caleb Derbyshire look on in a regular-season, North Atlantic Conference soccer finale at Leib Field in Farmington on a cloudy and cold Tuesday. (Tony Blasi/Sun Journal)
UMF’s Thomas Dupuy (24) and NVL’s Hunter Torrey (3) struggle for the ball in a regular-season, North Atlantic Conference soccer finale at Leib Field in Farmington on a cloudy and cold Tuesday. (Tony Blasi/Sun Journal)
UMF’s Iylas Abdi (3) drills the ball at NVL goalie Caleb Derbyshire as teammate Dawson Stebbins (9) leaps into the air Caleb Derbyshire ll in a regular-season, North Atlantic Conference soccer finale at Leib Field in Farmington on a cloudy and cold Tuesday. (Tony Blasi/Sun Journal)
Send questions/comments to the editors.
