ALBANY, New York — The Albany Great Danes received first-half goals from America East Midfielder of the Year and 2014 National Player of the Year Paula Heuser and Kelsey Briddell to beat Maine 2-0 in the America East championship game on Sunday.
Albany, the nation’s eighth-ranked team, improved to 19-2 and earned the automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The Great Danes reached the final four a year ago.
The 19-4 Black Bears failed to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament while Stanford, which lost to Maine 2-1 in overtime on Saturday and compiled a 13-6 record, did get an at-large berth.
Stanford finished 13th in the Ratings Percentage Index and Maine was 17th. The RPI is one of the criteria used to choose at-large teams to the tournament.
Maine has never earned an NCAA Tournament berth.
Hauser scored her 33rd goal of the year 9:30 into the first half off a penalty stroke and Briddell converted a pass from Anna Bottino with 3:34 left to give Albany its 10th straight win, its second straight league title and fifth since 2008.
Max Primus made three saves on five shots for Albany while Emma Cochran had three first-half saves and Emily Corbett had another in the second half for Maine, the nation’s No. 19 team.
Albany had seven shots.
Maine was playing its third game in three days while Albany was playing its third in four.
Maine had reached the final with its second straight come-from-behind 2-1 overtime win.
Maine had rallied to beat California-Berkeley on Friday before topping Stanford on Saturday.
Danielle Aviani’s breakaway goal 4:18 into overtime supplied Maine with the victory over the Cardinal after Katie Bingle had tied it in the second half off a penalty corner. Libby Riedl and Nicole Sevey had assists.
Katie Keyser had scored for Stanford in the first half.
Corbett had six saves and Cochran had four as Stanford outshot Maine 21-4. Dulcie Davies made one stop for 13-6 Stanford.
Soccer
UMFK teams win national titles
At Asheville, North Carolina, the University of Maine-Fort Kent’s women’s and men’s soccer teams captured United States Collegiate Athletic Association national championships on Saturday.
The women won their third consecutive championships and fifth in the last six years with a comfortable 7-0 victory over Albany College of Pharmacy.
The men’s team captured its first title since 2011 by beating Bryant and Stratton College of New York 2-1 in penalty kicks. Neither team scored during regulation or overtime.
In the women’s game, two-time USCAA Player of the Year Katherine Ferland had a hat trick and an assist to lead the 20-2 Bengals to the win.
Yosselin Burrueco had a pair of goals and two assists with Kelsi Lanphear and Kayla Richards also adding goals. Michelle Delgadillo made three saves as UMFK outshot Albany 29-4.
In the men’s game, UMFK’s Butch Forbes made three saves during the penalty kick shootout after making six during the game and Rodney Witter and Stefan Petricevic converted from the penalty spot to supply the 21-2 Bengals with the triumph.
Basketball
UMFK teams post wins
At Fort Kent, the University of Maine-Fort Kent men’s and women’s teams won their home openers Sunday. The women beat UNB St. John 88-46 and the men beat College of St. Joseph’s (Vt.) 87-82.
In the women’s game, the Bengals led by 25 at half and never looked back. Danielle Carrillo hit seven 3-pointers en route to 22 points to lead the Bengals. Ericka Saucier added 22 points and 12 rebounds. Ahjahna Coleman had 21 points and 12 rebounds and Romanalyn Inocencio had 13 points.
UNB was led by Kelsey Simon’s 13.
In the men’s game, Joe McCloskey’s 23 points and 11 rebounds, along with Mauro Vicic’s five 3-pointers powered UMFK past CSJ.
UMFK led by just four points at the half, but stretched the lead to 64-52 10 minutes into the half and held on. Marquis Glenn had 12 of his 14 points in the second half and Rosevelt Smith Jr. had all 13 of his points in the first half. Travis Harlin had 11 of his 13 points in the second half as well.
CSJ was led by Kyle Houston’s 20 points. Joshua McAfee was on fire with 19 first-half points including five 3’s, but Vicic’s face guarding defense didn’t allow him to attempt a shot in the second half. Jallah Tarver added 15 points.
Football
Clemson new No. 1 in AP poll
Ohio State won Saturday but lost a spot in the AP poll released Sunday with undefeated Clemson leapfrogging the Buckeyes for the No. 1 ranking in college football for the first time since 1981.
Clemson rallied to beat Florida State and maintain control in the Atlantic Coast Conference while nudging Ohio State from the top perch in the poll with 31 first-place votes. The Buckeyes had 26 and Alabama received two.
Ohio State beat Minnesota 28-14 and moved to No. 2 in the poll, which comes two days before the College Football Playoff rankings are released for the second time this season on Tuesday. The Buckeyes won the 2014 national championship and opened the season at No. 1. Ohio State remains No. 1 in the coaches’ poll