Connecticut native Scott Atherley first stepped on the University of Maine campus in Orono in 1984 as a soccer player for the Black Bears.
He became a team captain, assistant men’s coach and head men’s coach. In 1999, he coached the men and women. After that, he took over the women’s program solely.
Now it is making its first trip to the NCAA Tournament by virtue of last Sunday’s 3-2 double-overtime win over UMass Lowell at Mahaney Diamond in Orono. The Black Bears, with an 11-1-6 record, will take on Ivy League champion Harvard, in Saturday’s 5 p.m. NCAA first round game in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Nearly 40 years after he first kicked a ball on the old grass field in Orono, the 58-year-old Atherley is realizing a dream after losing 11 players from a good team last season.
“It has been a goal and to see that come to fruition has been really rewarding,” he said. “The margin between winning and losing, especially in our conference, is very thin.”
The build up to this championship was rapid. Two years ago, UMaine went 3-7-4 overall and 1-6-2 in America East Conference play. The Black Bears scored only six goals in their nine league games and four came in one game.
Last year, the Black Bears had a dramatic turnaround at 9-3-5 overall and 4-0-4 in the conference, losing to New Hampshire on a late goal in the America East semifinal. It was their first conference tournament appearance since 2016 and their first winning season since 2015.
Atherley said when the NCAA increased the number of full scholarships from 12 to 14, that hurt his program because it meant players who could have been good at UMaine went to higher-profile schools.
But when the NCAA instituted the one-time transfer rule in 2021, which allowed players to transfer to a school without having to sit out a year on a one-time basis, Atherley took full advantage. Five of his starters are transfers who were in their first seasons at UMaine.
Three of them, midfielders Lara Kirkby and Kristina Kelly and back Rebecca Grisdale, were chosen to the all-tournament team and Kirkby was the Most Valuable Player. Kirkby was an All-America first-team selection, and Kelly was a second-team choice.”
Just because there are more quality players available in the NCAA transfer portal doesn’t mean they would consider Orono a destination. It is a geographic outlier. The team doesn’t even have its own field, although it is supposed to get one in the next two years. It currently plays on Mahaney Diamond, the baseball field. The locker room is outdated.
“Prospects are attracted to our program because of our culture,” he said. “When they are afforded the opportunity to interact with our team, staff, faculty and support staff, they immediately connect with our values — or not.”
Kirkby, who is Australian, said it was the players and the coaching staff that sold her on the program after she played at the University of Oregon.
He said his coaching style has changed “dramatically” over the years to suit the needs of today’s student-athletes. The father of three and grandfather of one with another on the way said parenthood had a major influence on his coaching style. His players “understand the value of being cared for and appreciate the opportunity to pursue their potential,” he said.
“Having my own children, especially two girls, gave me a better appreciation for the things they go through: their concerns, their challenges, the things in their lives that influence them and what they are motivated by,” Atherley said.
His son, Carson, was a standout soccer player at Bangor High School who went on to play at Brown University. Daughters Teagan and Kyelin will play for Bangor in the state Class A championship game against Scarborough on Saturday.
Atherley meets with every player individually once a week or once every two weeks. Much of that time is spent talking about things other than soccer.
“It fosters good relationships and relationships are important to team success,” he said. “It gives an insight into what the team needs and what they need.”
He said assistant Liis Abbott is an exceptional “relationship builder” and helps the players with their confidence while also working with them individually on their technical skills. The two coaches evaluated the program during the COVID year and adopted a “holistic” approach.
“We felt we needed players who were explosive, aggressive and who react quickly,” said Atherley. “They have to be resilient and mentally tough. The prototypical player on our team is athletic, fast, has great insight and is bright.”
First and foremost, they must be top-notch people and teammates who are “selfless.” He places character at the top of the list of necessary traits.
His forwards can’t just seek goals, they must also defend. The backs don’t only defend, they are also encouraged to get up into the attack.
“A lot of teams don’t know how to defend you if your center back is up in the middle of their penalty area,” he explained.
The future is bright for the Black Bears, who will graduate just two starters in goalkeeper Kira Kutzinski and outside back Doireann Fahey. Atherley’s incoming class is “among the best we have brought in” after recent success and the promise of a new field boosted recruiting.
Atherley, who lives in Bangor with wife Lynn and their two daughters, said he has never considered leaving and is grateful for the opportunity he has had at UMaine.
“This experience has afforded me the opportunity to see how wonderful this community is,” he said.