On Saturday, Oct. 25, the University of Maine women’s soccer team faced off against the NJIT Highlanders that resulted in a 2-1 loss on the road. The game kicked off at 6 p.m. at the Lubetkin Field in New Jersey. Maine now has a record of 3-6-3 overall and 2-2-2 in America East play.
It was not a great start for Maine as fourth-year forward and 2023 rookie of the year Briana Andreoli broke through the defense line and placed the ball in the corner of the net off a breakaway less than three minutes in. The goal awakened the need to attack and create scoring opportunities to come back from the early goal for the Black Bear’s side. The game quickly turned physical with a total of three yellow cards and a foul nearly every five minutes. It was a chaotic first half, with the ball in the air for the most of the half. Maine was not able to settle the ball down or get a lot of opportunities in front of the net. The Highlanders had the lead at the end of the half from the lone goal scored early on.
The second half whistle blew, and Maine came out optimistic to win the game and hungry for a goal. Unlike the first half, the Black Bears saw the net and out-shot NJIT by a 13-3 margin. In an unlucky counterattack, the Highlanders earned a corner and doubled the lead in the 55th minute from a loose volley inside the box from third-year defender Riley Jones. This did not get Maine down as they came back ten minutes later when third-year midfielder Abbey Thornton played a through-ball to third-year attacking midfielder Victoria Dungey up the right side, where she transferred the ball to her left foot and slipped it into the near post. This perfectly placed goal made it Dungey’s first of the season and Thornton’s first assist of the season.
The opposing team did not see Maine’s half the rest of the 25 minutes, where first-year goalie Elena Barenberg only had to make two saves for the entire 90 minutes. Maine dominated NJIT but ultimately was unsuccessful in the final third and unable to find an equalizer.
Maine will host the final regular season conference game against rivals New Hampshire in the Buffalo Wild Wings Border Battle on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. The derby in Orono will also celebrate UMaine women’s soccer alum Abby Kraemer’s jersey retirement in a pregame ceremony. Abby Kraemer was the only All-American in program history and the first two-time All-American from the America East Conference in 25 years. Kraemer was also named 2024 America East woman of the year and on the 2024 MAC Hermann Trophy watchlist, along with many other accolades throughout her four years at Maine. She will become the first player in program history and the eighth female student-athlete in UMaine history to have their jersey retired.
