The University of Maine women’s soccer team earned its first America East playoff berth since 2016 by rallying for a 1-1 tie against UMass Lowell on Thursday night at Mahaney Diamond in Orono.
The Black Bears are now 3-0-3 in conference play, 7-2-4 overall, and can still win the conference or earn the No. 2 seed that would grant them a first-round bye for the six-team tournament.
What is particularly noteworthy about their accomplishment is that they have trailed in the second half in four of their conference games but have come back to either tie or win in a game known for its goal scarcity.
UMaine is 2-0-2 in those games. The seven second-half goals they scored in those four games were scored by six different players.
“One of the strengths of our team is its resiliency and its resolve,” said head coach Scott Atherley. “It is a product of the experience we have. It seems like in a situation where they get behind, our team finds a calm within the game.”
Junior midfielder Delaney LaBonte from York said the team is resilient because the players believe they can win.
“If we fall behind, we know we can score a goal and come out with a win,” LaBonte said. “We never give up.”
UMaine has scored 26 goals in its 13 games so far this season after scoring 15 in 21 games last fall and the previous spring.
LaBonte said earning a playoff spot is awesome.
“We have worked real hard for it. It’s a really good feeling,” LaBonte said.
Atherley has been using 22 players in every game and that depth has paid off for him in the second halves.
“We have 10 players who have scored goals so our scoring has been well-distributed and that takes the pressure of any one single player and that’s helpful,” Atherley said.
UMaine is tied with Binghamton atop the America East standings and will host the Bearcats on Sunday at noon on Senior Day.
Binghamton is 4-1 in conference play and has a game in hand on UMaine.
Both have 12 points. Teams receive three points for a win and one for a tie.
UMass Lowell (3-1-1), New Hampshire (3-1-1) and Albany (3-2-1) all have 10 points.
The top six teams qualify for the tournament. The top two will host semifinal games after the third and fourth seeds host quarterfinal games against the fifth and sixth seeds, with No. 3 hosting No. 6 and No. 4 entertaining No. 5.
UMaine will conclude its season at Bryant (0-3-3) a week from Sunday.
Atherley said another factor behind his team’s success has been its competitive nature.
“We were picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll,” said Atherley, whose team used that snub as motivation.