FORT KENT — The fifth-seeded and unbeaten University of Maine-Fort Kent men scored three unanswered goals in the first half and held on for a a 3-2 soccer victory over St. Thomas University in the opening round of the NAIA Tournament Saturday afternoon.
The 22-0 Bengals advance to the Round of 16 Nov. 29-Dec. 4 at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Alabama.
In a contest played with steady snow flurries, UMFK was able to jump out to a 3-0 lead in the games’ first 31 minutes. Junior forward Keith Williams II scored the first goal of the contest in the 11th minute on a high header from senior wing Luka Odak which sailed over the head of STU keeper and team captain Aaron Jones. Freshmen forward Amine El Moumen put UMFK up 2-0 five minutes later as he sailed a lob over a charging Jones on a one-on-one. Senior Henley Comrie delivered the ball to El Moumen from mid-field on a nice low assist. Play settled a bit both ways until freshmen reserve forward Kevin Dionne scored the eventual game-winner on a diving header on a ball crossed by junior Jermaine West to give the Bengals a 3-0 cushion.
The 12-6-2 Bobcats came to life in the 39th minute when sophomore forward Jonathan Rico hit the post on a shot from just outside the 18. STU continued to build confidence and would answer in the 43rd minute of the first half as leading scorer Rico beat UMFK keep David Girouard high to his right from 34 yards out on an assist from Douglas Sommer. The teams went into halftime with UMFK up 3-1.
The Bobcats kept the pressure on early in the second half and were able to beat Girouard high again, this time in the 56th minute, off the foot of sophomore forward Pierre Ceraphin with Marcelo Loor getting credit for the assist to make the contest a one goal affair. STU continued to press for the equalizer which led to quality chances for both sides. With four minutes left to play, Comrie collided with STU keeper Jones outside the 18 on a one-on-one. The Bengals withstood a frantic push from STU in the games waning minutes in which the Bobcats pulled Jones and put him in the box on a corner to earn their third trip to the NAIA National Championships in the past four years.
Girouard made two saves on nine shots.
Aaron Jones stopped two of 17 shots.
Men’s basketball
Vermont Tech 89, EMCC 79
Vermont Tech (5-0) 89
Tyrell 7-3-18, Simpson 12-14-41, Carr 6-3-15, Roleau 3-1-7, Lindsey 0-3-3, Louie, Robinson, General-Van Dupuis 2-1-5
EMCC (1-3) 79
Dubois 6-3-17, Pierre 10-4-31, Reynolds 1-5-7, Green 3-1-8, Rosas 1-3-6, Knowles 0-1-1, Baltimore 3-3-9
3-pt. goals: Tyrell; Dubois 2, Pierre 7, Green
Halftime: Vermont Tech 42-36
Colby 88, Newbury 74
At Waltham, Mass., Saturday
Colby (1-1)
Beaulieu 11-0-22, Russell 7-3-17, Fischer 4-3-11, Van Loenen 3-3-9, Rimsa 2-1-5, Atlas 2-0-5, Foreman 2-0-5, Orchingwa 1-2-4, David 1-0-3, Brassord 0-2-2, Swanson 1-0-2, Lovett 1-0-2, Gildersleeve 0-1-1, Coulon, Kalin, Donovan
Newbury (0-3)
Bernard 8-0-16, Rowley Jr. 7-1-15, Young 5-0-11, Torres 3-2-9, Thompson 3-1-8, Watson 3-0-6, James 1-2-4, Tise 1-0-3, Franks 1-0-2
3-pt. goals: Atlas, David, Foreman; Young, Thompson, Tise, Torres
Halftime: Colby 44-27
Husson 74, U-New England 51
At Chicopee, Mass., Sunday
U-New England (0-4)
M. Winn 4-5-17, Guerrette 2-0-6, J. Winn, Knotek 4-5-15, Belanger 2-0-4, Ouellette, Jones 0-1-1, Roach, Simpson 1-4-6, Stinglen 1-0-2, Dadiego, Lessard, Draleau
Husson (2-1)
Jones 2-4-8, Modica 4-2-10, McMorrin 2-2-6, Uhrin 7-3-21, Zaharchuk 9-1-19, Spaulding, Cook, Hughes 1-0-2, Murphy 1-0-2, Medina 2-0-4, Libby 1-0-2, Byron, Klages
3-pt. goals: M. Winn 4, Guerrette 2, Knotek 2; Uhrin 4
Halftime: Husson 36-24
Southern Maine 79, UM-Presque Isle 62
At Gorham, Sunday
UMPI (0-4)
G. Vazquez 5-5-19, Peaslee 3-0-6, Manifold 6-5-17, McDonald 8-2-18, Coffin, Trask, Hutchins, Duff, Turner, M. Vazquez 0-2-2, Bragan, Morton, Warner, Brock, Sanders
Southern Maine (3-0)
Isaac 5-5-16, Kee 2-2-7, Poulin 1-0-3, Smith 6-0-13, Bergeron 2-3-7, Chambers 4-0-8, Jellison, Pollock, O’Connell 4-2-10, Sullivan, Pagentine 6-1-13, Cushman 1-0-2, Wilson, Forcier
3-pt. goals: G. Vazquez 4; Isaac, Kee, Poulin, Smith
Halftime: USM 33-28
Bowdoin 74, Roger Williams 71
At Bristol, R.I., Saturday
Bowdoin (2-0)
Hanley 8-2-18, Staiger 1-0-2, DeFeo 3-2-10, Nowell 7-0-15, O’Connell 2-0-6, Mathias 1-0-3, Madlinger 2-0-6, Littles 2-0-4, Carter 5-0-10, Lenker
Roger Williams (2-1)
Petruccelli 9-7-26, Rafael 2-0-5, Clifford 3-3-9, Madison 1-0-2, Fava 3-2-9, Couture 2-0-4, LeCardi 2-0-6, Flanagan 3-4-10
3-pt. goals: DeFeo 2, Nowell, O’Connell 2, Mathias, Madlinger 2; Petruccelli, Rafael, Fava, LeCardi 2
Halftime: Roger Williams 40-34
Women’s Basketball
Southern Maine 77, Husson 67
At Gorham, Saturday
Husson (0-2)
Butterfield 2-2-6, Lincoln 3-2-10, Gifford 2-0-6, Hanscom 3-12-18, Sevey 3-0-7, Duke 0-1-1, Carroll 0-1-1, Albert, McGee 1-0-2, Murray 1-3-6, Massengale, Murray, Comstock 4-2-10
Husson (2-1)
Garland 3-1-9, Nicholas 2-1-5, McNamara 3-1-8, DeMillo 4-1-12, Cochran 7-6-20, Rivet 1-1-3, Callendar, Stevens 2-0-4, Fox 1-1-3, Hurd, Jordan 5-2-13, Craffey, Rousseau, Reid
3-pt. goals: Lincoln 2, Gifford 2, Sevey, Murray; Garland 2, McNamara, DeMillo 3, Jordan
Halftime: Colby 44-27
Salve Regina 58, UM-Farmington 48
At Gorham, Saturday
Salve Regina (3-0)
Murphy 2-5-11, Phillips 4-2-10, Birrell 6-1-13, Browning 2-0-4, Audet 2-0-4, Averill 2-0-6, Pigoga 2-0-4, Horan, Bucci 2-0-5, Pendergast 0-1-1, Averill
UM-Farmington (0-1)
Busque 2-3-8, Norton 4-1-10, Clement 2-0-4, Oliver 2-0-4, Ross 5-1-13, Neptune, Stoutamyer, Gordon 1-0-2, Gagne 1-0-2, Saunders 2-1-5
3-pt. goals: Murphy 2, Averill 2, Bucci; Busque, Norton, Ross 2
Halftime: Salve Regina 29-20
Curry 60, Saint Joseph’s 53
At Milton, Mass., Saturday
Saint Joseph’s (1-2)
Dufour 0-2-2, Drake 2-0-4, Parent 3-2-8, McDevitt 3-0-9, Geel 7-1-15, Makkinje 1-0-2, Young 2-0-4, Lamb, Shufelt 2-2-7, Moore 1-0-2
Saint Joseph’s (4-0)
Assarian 2-2-6, Robinson 1-6-8, Cousins 6-4-16, Houston 3-0-7, Rafferty 6-0-14, King 0-1-1, McGrath, Scrubb 2-4-8
3-pt. goals: McDevitt 3, Shufelt; Houston, Rafferty 2
Halftime: 33-33
Colby 61, New Paltz 46
At Amherst, Mass., Saturday
Colby (1-0)
Vaughan 6-3-15, Mack 7-1-15, Ritchie 3-2-9, Kowalski 3-2-8, Bennett 3-0-6, Manduca 0-4-4, McLaughlin 1-0-2, Nale 1-0-2, Potvin, Adler
New Paltz (1-2)
McCullough 5-2-15, Irwin 3-1-9, Bradley 3-1-7, Clifford 2-0-5, Fisher 2-0-4, Cohen 1-0-2, Grover 1-0-2, Scott 0-2-2
3-pt. goals: Ritchie; McCullough 3, Irwin 2, Clifford
Halftime: Colby 30-29
Bowdoin 89, Lesley 45
At Salem, Mass., Saturday
Bowdoin (1-1)
Hackett 1-1-4, Henrikson 5-0-12, Bergeron 2-1-5, Barry 5-5-15, Sweeney 4-3-12, Donahoe 0-1-1, Piscina 1-0-2, Prue, Coombes 9-2-20, Gould 4-2-11, Sones 2-0-5, Prohl 1-0-2
Lesley (0-3)
Caira 3-0-6, Fleming 1-0-2, Vallesio 1-2-4, Wechsler 7-4-18, O’Mara 3-2-10, St. Onge 1-0-3, Nonamaker 1-0-2, Smith
3-pt. goals: Hackett, Henrikson 2, Sweeney, Gould, Sones; O’Mara 2, St. Onge
Halftime: Bowdoin 46-19
Colby 54, Rensselaer Polytechnic 48
At Amherst, Mass., Sunday
Colby (2-0)
Kowalski 6-4-16, Vaughan 5-0-10, Mack 4-0-8, Ritchie 3-0-7, Manduca 2-2-7, Potvin 2-0-4, McLaughlin 1-0-2, Nale, Bennett
Rensselaer (1-2)
Wetmore 7-5-21, McKinley 4-1-9, Hayes 3-0-7, Larsen 2-0-5, Monroe 2-0-4, Oliveira 1-0-2, Easterling, Piotrowski, Hansan
3-pt. goals: Ritchie, Manduca; Wetmore 2, Hayes, Larsen
Halftime: Colby 27-17