Josette Babineau, associate head coach Courtney Veinotte and assistant Francesca Rowley were named the America East Coaching Staff of the Year at the annual league banquet on Wednesday night in Albany.
Babineau, in her ninth year at the helm, Veinotte and Rowley led the Black Bears to a school-record 17 wins (17-3) and they were the America East regular season co-champions for the first time since 2005. Maine went 7-1 in the conference with the only loss coming at the hands of co-champ Albany.
Babineau also earned her 100th career win this season.
Maine received several other conference awards.
Skowhegan senior midfielder Nicole Sevey, the team’s captain, earned America East first-team honors thanks to her three goals and six assists.
Junior midfielder Sydney Veljacic was selected to the second team. She had a team-high 11 goals to go with two assists.
Veljacic was also chosen to the all-academic team and tied for the highest grade-point average in the conference at 3.95. She is an accounting major.
Libby Riedel was picked to the All-Rookie team as she notched six goals and 11 assists. It is the sixth straight year Maine has had a player on the All-Rookie team.
Maine will open America East Tournament play against the University of California-Berkeley in a Friday quarterfinal at 4:30 p.m. in Albany.
Men’s Soccer
Thomas 2, NEC 1
At Waterville, top-seeded Thomas held off a stiff challenge from No. 5 New England College, needing an overtime goal by freshman forward Adam LaBrie to win and advance to the championship game of the North Atlantic Conference tourney.
Thomas broke open the scoring the 66th minute as sophomore midfielder Willie Clemons put away a shot that spun off the side of the foot of freshman forward Josh Emard.
NEC got the equalizer in the 71st minute in the form of a successful penalty kick by Ronsard Masamba. The Pilgrims also got a spark from back-up keeper Dylan Mix. After entering the game in the 78th minute following an injury to Tenzin Khenrab, Mix made three saves in the last few minutes as Thomas continued to apply pressure offensively.
Khenrab finished with four saves for NEC (12-8-1) before yielding to Mix. Junior Joakim Sternas had six saves for the Terriers (13-4).
Thomas outshot NEC 24-9, but the Pilgrims had the game’s only two corner kicks.
The Terriers will host No. 2 seed Castleton in the NAC final on Saturday at Smith Field at a time to be determined.
Castleton 4, UMF 1
At Castleton, Vermont, Jake Tietgens scored three of Castleton’s four first-half goals as the Spartans rolled by the UMaine-Farmington Beavers in a North Atlantic Conference semifinal.
Tietgens scored about seven minutes into the game off a Paul Phillips assist and then converted a penalty kick seven minutes later. Blake Hart added a goal at 20:37 from a Solo Felekeni assist and then Hart set up Tietgens’ goal five minutes later.
UMF got on the board with an own goal by Castleton in the second half.
Chris Roberts and Matt Wilson were in goal for UMF, with Wilson making five saves. The Beavers finished at 6-10-3.
Amir Pasic made one save for Castleton (14-5-1).
Women’s Basketball
Central Maine CC 87, Unity 17
At Unity on Tuesday night, Nicole Hamblin scored 16 points while Mary Welch and Allie Ablondi each put in 12 to lead Central Maine Community College by Unity.
Raeann Bond and Emilee Reynolds each scored four points for Unity.
CMCC is now 2-3 overall and 1-0 in the Yankee Small College Conference and Unity is 0-1.