USM Women's Soccer: Southern Maine Heads to Eastern Connecticut as Fifth Seed in 2021 LEC Championship

Women’s College Soccer

Southern Maine Heads to Eastern Connecticut as Fifth Seed in 2021 LEC Championship

Huskies Finish LEC Regular Season 4-3-1

GORHAM, Maine  – Finishing the 2021 Little East Conference regular season with a record of 4-3-1, the University of Southern Maine Huskies have earned the fifth seed for the upcoming 2021 Little East Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament. 

 

The Huskies (11-3-3 overall) will travel to fourth-seed Eastern Connecticut State on Tuesday, November 2 (tba).  The Huskies’ appearance in the 2021 tourney is their 11^th in

program history. USM last qualified for the conference championship tournament in 2018.  

 

Eastern Connecticut (9-9 overall, 4-2-2 LEC) will host the quarterfinal at Rick McCarthy Field.  The top six teams qualify for LEC post season with the top two seeds receiving a first-round bye.  2021 LEC regular season champion Western Connecticut is the top seed for the tournament, followed by UMass Boston. 

 

USM and ECSU battled to a 1-1 double overtime draw earlier in the season.  Trailing 1-0 following a ECSU first-half goal, Huskies’ freshman Kiki Huntress (Kittery Point, Maine/Traip Academy) scored the first goal of her intercollegiate career off of a corner kick service from senior Ciera Berthiaume (Windham, Maine) in the 53^rd. 

 

Both teams recorded 12 shots a piece in the game; however neither the Huskies or Warriors took a shot through both extra frames. The draw snapped the Huskies’ 20-season losing skid to Eastern Connecticut. Prior to the 1-1 2OT draw, USM’s last positive result against ECSU was October 24, 2000 – a 2-1 win.  

 

 

 

 

Who: No. 5 Southern Maine at No. 4 Eastern Connecticut

When: Tuesday, November 2, 2021 (TBA) 

Where: Eastern Connecticut State University, Mansfield, Conn. Rick McCarthy Field

What: 2021 Little East Conference Women’s Soccer Championship Tournament Quarterfinal

 

Southern Maine (11-3-3, 4-3-1 LEC)

Championships: 0

LEC Tournament Record: 4-10-0 (.286), 10 appearances

 

Finals Appearances:  0 Finals Record: 0-0  Last Finals Appearance: NA

 

Players to Watch: Ciera Berthiaume, Sr., F, 12 goals, 3 assists, 27 points, 4 game-winners; Catriona Gould, So, F, 8 goals, four assists, 20 points, 3 game-winners; Emma Forgues, Jr., F, 6 goals, 2 assists, 14 points, 2 game-winners; Kiki Huntress, Fr., DM, 2 goals, 3 assists; 7 points;  Mia Sargent, Fr., B, 5 goals, 1 assist, 11 points. 

 

Goalkeeping: Bre Atwood, So., 9-3-2, 1.11 GAA, .800 save percentage, 60 saves. 

 

Eastern Connecticut (7-7-2, 4-2-2 LEC)

Championships: 4 (2003, 2005, 2009, 2011)

LEC Tournament Record: 14-14-6 (.500), 20 appearances

 

Finals Appearances:  10 Finals Record: 4-6  Last Finals Appearance: 2017

 

Players to Watch: Briley Harnois, 6 goals, 1 assists, 13 points, 2 game-winners; Haley Montesanto, 5 goals, 10 points; Alexie Root, 3 goals, 3 assists, 9 points. 

 

Goalkeeping: Alexis Tyrrell, 4-7-2, 1.79 GAA, .747 save percentage, 62 saves; Emily Wallace, 3-0-0, 0.62 GAA, .889 save percentage, 16 saves.