STANDISH, Maine – University of Maine-Farmington (2-2-0) erased a two-goal deficit with four unanswered goals in the second half to defeat Saint Joseph's College (1-4-0), 4-2, in a non-conference women's soccer contest at Westerlea Way Field on Tuesday afternoon.
The Monks played well early on in what was the team's 2015 home-opener, as the hosts scored twice in a matter of five minutes midway through the first half to secure a 2-0 lead. The Beavers gained momentum late in the opening frame and the effort carried into the second stanza, when the visitors netted a pair over a four-minute span to knot the game at 2-2 with 26:28 remaining.
The stalemate score remained until the 78th minute when freshman midfielder Ashley Gleason (Scarborough, Maine) collected a bounding ball beyond the SJC defense and chipped a ball over Monks sophomore keeper Brooke Troup (East Bridgewater, Mass.), who left her post to challenge on the 1v1 play.
The Monks poured on the offensive pressure over the following 10 minutes, but the effort was for naught as junior forward Bridget Humphrey (Jefferson, Maine) effectively put the game out of reach at the 87:08 mark when she potted her second goal of the afternoon.
The Monks' goals, scored by freshman Haley DeGraca (Saco, Maine) and senior Hannah LeBlanc (Andover, Mass.), seemed to be an early indication of how the game would be played. DeGraca opened the scoring with a kick from the right side of the box that clanged off the left post and into the back of the net. LeBlanc was credited with an assist on the play and hit pay dirt herself 5:29 later. Junior Desiree Parent (Westborough, Mass.) set up the score with a perfect lead pass in the middle of the box, with LeBlanc placing a shot to the right corner to finish the quick strike.
The Beavers got on the board at the 49:54 mark when freshman forward Lydia Roy (Waterville, Maine) scored off an Ashley Gleason (Scarborough, Maine) feed, cutting the hosts' lead in half. UMF tied the game just 3:38 later when Humphrey netted an unassisted tally.
Saint Joseph's held advantages in shots (25-16) and corner kicks (7-2) while Maine-Farmington owned an 11-6 lead in shots on goal on the afternoon. Troup made seven stops in goal for the Monks while Beavers keeper Sam Hatch (Hebron, Maine) recorded a pair of saves on the afternoon.
Saint Joseph's returns to the pitch this Saturday with a home contest at 12:00 PM versus GNAC-rival Rivier University.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
