The second-seeded University of Maine field hockey team will host third seed Albany in an America East semifinal at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the UMaine Field Hockey Complex in Orono.
The winner will take on the winner of a semifinal between fifth seed Vermont and top seed UMass Lowell in Lowell. The championship game will be Friday at the site of the higher seed.
UMaine is 8-8 overall, 3-2 in the conference, while Albany is 10-6 and 3-2. UMass Lowell is 10-7 and 4-1, and Vermont is 12-5 and 2-3.
Albany edged Bryant 4-3 in overtime in the quarterfinals, and Vermont shut out New Hampshire 2-0.
One of the primary reasons behind UMaine’s resurgence after going 7-12 and 1-4 a year ago has been the play of freshman goalkeeper Annabel Halkes from The Netherlands.
Halkes has the nation’s third-best save percentage (.811) among goalkeepers at 80 Division I schools. She has made eight or more saves eight times and 10 or more on six occasions. She is averaging 7.25 saves per game, which is 12th best. She has a 1.76 goals-against average, an 8-7 record and five shutouts.
She was chosen to the All-America East second team and All-Rookie team.
Josette Babineau, in her 20th year season as the head coach at UMaine, said Halkes is the most impactful freshman goalie she has coached at UMaine.
“She has great size, she is very powerful, she has good reactions and she is a competitor,” Babineau said.
“She has a good presence with how she carries herself,” added Babineau, who also said that Halkes is very composed.
Three other Black Bears received All-America East honors.
Sophomore midfielder Martha Barratt was a first team midfielder, and seniors Saylor Kuefler and Eloise Penty were second team picks.
Barratt led the team in goals (8) and points (23) and was tied for first in assists (7); Penty had five goals and seven assists and Kuefler had five goals and four assists.
Albany features America East Rookie of the Year Quinty Reumer (league-high 11 goals, 1 assist), who was also an All-AE first team pick along with teammates Jette Kurz (4 goals, 14 assists) and Mara Kuskes (5 goals, 12 assists). Pilar Lorenzini (5 goals, 5 assists) was a second team pick, and Tatum Hickey joined Reumer on the All-Rookie team.
UMaine beat Albany 3-1 in the mutual conference opener on Oct. 2 in Orono, ending a four-game Great Danes winning streak at the expense of the Black Bears.