SMITHFIELD, R.I. — The University of Maine soccer team suffered a 1-0 upset loss to Bryant University on Thursday, Oct. 22, despite outshooting the Bulldogs 17-3. The loss dealt a blow to the Black Bears’ pursuit of their fourth straight America East title and leaves their final two games crucial in the race for a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the conference tournament.
Maine came into the game in second place in the conference, with 10 points and an overall record of 6-4-3, fresh off a 2-1 rivalry road victory against the University of New Hampshire.
Before the game, third-year forward Isabella Meadows expressed confidence in the team’s progress, particularly in its attacking play and ability to build out from the back.
“Our team buildout has been phenomenal, and it’s grown from the spring. Everything’s coming together, and my team’s definitely helping me a lot,” said Meadows.
On the other side, Bryant was 4-6-3 and in sixth place in the conference with seven points. The Bulldogs were coming off a 1-0 road loss to the University at Albany and were ranked 235th in the nation.
Maine head coach Scott Atherley recognized the challenge Bryant would present, particularly with its defensive organization.
“They’re a well-organized team, defensively difficult to break down. They don’t concede a lot of goals, and they’re a team that’s dangerous on the counter,” Atherley said before the game.
In the first half of Thursday’s contest, Bryant struggled to get out of its own half, with Maine pelting the Bulldogs’ defense with 11 shots. Only two of those shots were on target, though, as fourth-year goalie Shannon Mejia saved both attempts. Bryant was only able to manage one shot in the half, which was not on target.
Adding to the Black Bears’ first-half dominance, they took five corners, while Bryant had none.
Despite Maine’s strong first-half performance, Bryant came out swinging in the second half, looking much improved. The Bulldogs were rewarded for this as fourth-year player Samantha Zaslaw scored from a run down the wing, assisted by second-year player Morgan Nelson, who slipped the ball through for Zaslaw to run onto.
From here, Maine grew back into the game, gaining more control and becoming increasingly desperate for a goal and at least a point out of the match. Mejia stayed strong, though, making five saves as she and the Bryant defense finished the match with a clean sheet and a 1-0 win over Maine.
In the second half, Maine outshot Bryant 6-2 and once again had more corners, 3-2, but Bryant’s defense remained stout and picked up the upset win.
The result was a disappointing outcome for Maine, which had entered the match with confidence after its victory over New Hampshire. Meadows had emphasized the team’s momentum heading into the contest.
“We have so much momentum, and I think we’re in a great place, defensively and attacking-wise,” Meadows said before the game.
Looking around the America East, the result shook up the standings, as Binghamton University beat New Jersey Institute of Technology 1-0 in Vestal, New York, putting the Bearcats four points ahead of the rest of the conference and all but guaranteeing them the America East regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
Elsewhere, the University of Vermont hosted UAlbany and drew 2-2. This left the conference standings extremely tight, with Albany, Vermont, Bryant, Maine and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County all on 10 points and separated by tiebreakers in the race for second through sixth place. This makes the final two games of the regular season crucial as the Black Bears try to earn a bye and home-field advantage in the conference tournament.
Maine will have an opportunity to bounce back against first-place Binghamton on Sunday, Oct. 25, at noon, before finishing the regular season on the road against UMBC on Sunday, Nov. 1. With the conference standings tightly packed, the Black Bears will need strong performances in both games to improve their position and secure a favorable path through the America East tournament.
