The University of Maine women’s soccer team won its first game since Aug. 22 by beating the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Bisons 1-0 on Friday. Maine improves to 2-5-0, while North Dakota falls to 4-2-0 on the season.
The Bisons came into the contest after suffering their first loss of the season to Iowa State University. The Black Bears were reeling after their fifth straight loss and were battling injuries to several key players.
The first half was a stalemate, with neither team able to break the deadlock. Maine was the closest to scoring in the 16th minute when two shots from inside the 18-yard box were blocked by Bison defenders. NDSU also came close to scoring when a shot from 20 yards out floated over the Maine crossbar in the 24th minute. Both UMaine and NDSU ended the first half with six shots on goal.
Both Coach Atherley and the players came out with a different mindset for the second half.
“We talked about our mentality in the locker room,” Atherley said. “And the idea is that we have to play with certain standards physically if we expect to have outcomes that we want.”
Maine upped their physicality, and it paid off. UMaine began the second half with a lot of energy, and the offensive chances began to develop. The Black Bears had several scoring chances early in the second half as crosses found their way into the 18-yard box.
“The players recognized we needed to pick it up physically all over the field,” Atherley said. “I think it gave us a lot of momentum.”
That momentum led to the best scoring chance that the Black Bears had all game, which came in the 69th minute. First-year forward Marie-Pier Gougeon received a cross, but was unable to put it past Bison keeper Sierra Bonham, who made the diving save on the goal line.
Maine broke through just minutes later when a cross from fourth-year forward Jordan Pellerin found Gougeon, who was crashing the net. Gougeon volleyed the ball into the net to give Maine the lead. For Gougeon, it was her first goal of the season and her first as a Black Bear.
“Jordan [Pellerin] had a very good ball for me and I just had to place it in the goal,” said Gougeon on her goal in the 78th minute.
Gougeon also commented on her team’s performance in the second half, saying, “We gave all that we had and put in a good effort today.”
Part of that effort came from second-year keeper Claudia Dube-Trempe, who had recently returned from injury. She recorded her second win, and second shutout of the season. She made three saves versus NDSU on Friday. She is now 2-1-0 on the year for UMaine.
As players return from injury, like Dube-Trempe, the Maine lineup will become more effective. Players like Pellerin can move back to their native positions, which proved to be the difference in Friday’s game.
“We have a couple of other players who are starting to come back, but we’re still very much compromised right now,” said Coach Atherley on the injuries, “but the good news is we have a week off before we play again.”
The Black Bears will be on the road for the team’s longest road trip of the season starting on Sept. 19 versus Central Connecticut State. Maine’s next home game will be on Oct. 5 as they host rival New Hampshire.