LOWELL, Massachusetts — Senior wing Marissa Shaw from Plymouth and junior midfielder Sydney Veljacic each scored a pair of goals as the University of Maine spotted LaSalle University the game’s first goal before rallying for a season-opening 5-1 field hockey triumph Friday.
Gina Smith gave the Explorers the lead 21:17 into the game but freshman Casey Crowley converted a Jessica Skillings assist to tie it 1:45 later.
Shaw gave Maine the lead for good at the 30:08 mark off an assist from Libby Riedl.
Veljacic sandwiched second-half goals around Shaw’s second.
Danielle Aviani picked up an assist for the Black Bears.
Emma Cochran made four saves on five shots in the first half and Emily Corbett stopped both shots she faced in the second half for Maine.
Rachel Hartman made eight saves for Atlantic-10 team LaSalle (Pa.), which went 11-7 a year ago.
Maine will play Holy Cross (Mass.) on Saturday at noon in Lowell.
Volleyball
MMA picked second in league poll
Colby-Sawyer College was unanimously selected to win its fifth-consecutive North Atlantic Conference volleyball crown in the 2015 preseason poll released Friday.
The Chargers received a total of 49 points to top the league, while Maine Maritime Academy of Castine was slated second with 41 points and Husson University placed third with 34 points. Rounding out the poll was Castleton University (29 points), Lyndon State College (22 points), Johnson State College (11 points), and Green Mountain College (10 points).
Voting for the preseason poll was conducted among the league’s head volleyball coaches.
Tennis
Thomas ranked fourth
Three-time defending champion Colby-Sawyer College was unanimously selected as the preseason favorite to win the North Eastern Athletic Conference East Division Women’s Tennis Championship after receiving all eight first-place votes in the coaches’ poll Friday.
Castleton University placed second with 52 points, while Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts claimed third with 41 points and Thomas College was selected fourth after earning 39 points. Rounding out the poll was Lyndon State College (29 points), Johnson State College (28 points), Husson University (23 points), and Green Mountain College (12 points).