The University of Maine’s field hockey, women’s ice hockey and women’s soccer teams are all home this weekend, with each playing a game involving a different circumstance.
On Saturday, Alex Gettens makes his first appearance as the head women’s ice hockey coach, in a 2 p.m. exhibition game against arch-rival New Hampshire at Alfond Arena.
Gettens and the Black Bears officially open their season the following weekend against the sixth-ranked Quinnipiac University Bobcats with games at 6 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday.
On Sunday, Scott Atherley’s defending three-time America East soccer team will play its first America East conference game as Albany will head to Orono for a noon game at the New Balance Soccer Complex.
Two hours later, the field hockey team will entertain Dartmouth College for its final home non-conference game.
UMaine soccer vs. Albany
Atherley’s soccer team will bring a 3-3-2 record into the game against Albany. The Great Danes are 2-4-1.
Both teams enter the game with an unbeaten streak as UMaine is 2-0-2 in its last four and Albany is 2-0-1 in its last three.
UMaine was picked as the favorite to make it four titles in a row in the coaches preseason poll while Albany was picked to finish last (ninth).
UMaine has won the last four meetings, but three of them have been by 1-0 scores, including a year ago.
The other was a 3-0 victory, so Albany hasn’t scored in the last four games against UMaine.
But UMaine has given up goals in six of its eight games this season, with five of them coming after the 74th minute and have cost the Black Bears victories.
URI scored at the 74:12 mark to beat UMaine 1-0; Sacred Heart scored goals at the 79:25 and 80:58 marks to erase a 1-0 deficit in its 2-1 win; Merrimack broke a 1-1 tie by scoring with just 33 seconds remaining to earn a 2-1 triumph; and Providence got an equalizer in a 1-1 tie with 7:05 remaining.
There are no overtimes in college soccer.
UMaine has given up just two goals in its last four games,
UConn transfer Isabella Meadows has led the Black Bears in scoring with three goals, including two in her last three games. Luise Reinwald and Aja Turner have each scored two goals and Oklahoma State transfer Sandrine Breault has a goal and two assists. Sophomore goalkeeper Elena Barenberg has played in all eight games and has a 1.00 goals-against average and a .795 save percentage.
Albany has been paced by Sydney Kofton, Kiara Levac and Oluchi Njoku, who each have two goals and an assist. Claudia Volino has a 1.93 GAA and a .683 save percentage.
Albany went 2-13-2 a year ago, 1-7 in the conference.
UMaine was 6-8-4 and 3-3-2 and won the tournament coming out of the fourth seed.
UMaine field hockey vs. Dartmouth
Josette Babineau’s field hockey team is 3-3 while Dartmouth is 1-2.
UMaine had won 11 straight games against Dartmouth until losing 2-1 in Hanover, New Hampshire, a year ago.
Martha Barratt and Saylor Kuefler have been the top goal producers with two apiece and Barratt also has an assist. Taylor Stanford has a goal and two assists, and Eloise Penty has a goal and an assist. She scored her goal in overtime in UMaine’s last game, a 3-2 victory over Boston University.
Annabel Halkes, a freshman, has won the goaltending job and has a 2.03 GAA and .787 save percentage.
Dartmouth has lost to Boston University 5-1 and Sacred Heart (CT) 2-1 and beat Merrimack 4-2.
Amelie Luessman (2 goals, 1 assist) and Ella Bowman (1, 2) are the Big Green’s top point-producers, and goalkeeper Kyle McKinley has a 2.60 GAA and a .688 save percentage.
UMaine ice hockey vs. UNH
The exhibition ice hockey game involves a UMaine team that was 13-19-4 a year ago and 8-12-4 in Hockey East play and a UNH squad that was 16-16-3 and 10-12-2.
UNH was picked seventh in the Hockey East preseason coaches poll and UMaine was eighth.
The teams split their three regular season games a year ago with UMaine winning 4-3 in overtime, UNH triumphing 3-0 and the two teams skating to a 2-2 tie with UNH picking up the extra Hockey East point by winning the shootout.
UNH topped UMaine 5-1 in a preseason exhibition contest.