The setting couldn’t have been better for the first game on the University of Maine women’s soccer team’s new $27.3 million New Balance Track and Field and Soccer Complex on Thursday night as the Black Bears tangled with Bryant University in an America East contest.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
It was a perfect night, weather-wise, with little or no breeze and comfortable temperatures.
And there was a large and enthusiastic crowd that was energized by the Portland professional soccer team Hearts of Pine support group which featured rhythmic drumming.
It was a memorable atmosphere with over 600 fans in and around the new stands overlooking the artificial turf field.
Defending two-time America East tournament champ UMaine is now 2-4-2 overall and 1-0-1 in conference play while Bryant is 3-3-5 and 0-1-2, respectively. UMaine stretched its home unbeaten streak against America East opponents to 19 games (11-0-8.)
It took the Black Bears just two minutes and 50 seconds to score the first ever goal on the new field, courtesy of Baylor University transfer Hilary Washington, a sophomore back.
But the Bulldogs scored the equalizer with 22:44 remaining in the game as junior back Colleen Ardolino notched her first career goal off a scramble following a Madison Luke corner kick.
It was appropriate that the Bryant University coach, Andy Biggs, is the son of former University of Maine men’s soccer coach Doug Biggs.
“It’s a beautiful field, for sure,” said the Bryant coach. “It’s real exciting for me to be back here and see the new stadium in the place where the original [grass field] was. My father was the coach here when I was a young kid so we used to come out and play on that field all the time.”
UMaine coach Scott Atherley said the crowd provided a great environment.
“It’s a special night. It’s almost surreal,” Atherley said.
UMaine senior back and co-captain Rebecca Grisdale also appreciated the crowd on hand.
“It was awesome,” Grisdale said. “It was so nice to see all the support from everyone.”
Bryant defensive center midfielder Emily Supple, who is from Cape Elizabeth, was impressed by the new field.
“There were beautiful views. There was a beautiful sunset in the first half,” Supple said. “You couldn’t ask for a better field to play on.”
Another Mainer on the Bryant team, junior forward Ava Feeley from Yarmouth, said the visitors “were so grateful that we got to play on it. It was very soft grass.”
The game couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for UMaine.
Emma Nicholson slid the ball across to Washington, who was to the right of her just outside the penalty area, and Washington took a stride and sailed a perfectly-placed rising shot into the upper corner to the right of Bryant goalie Shannon Mejia, who had no chance.
It was Washington’s first career point.
“It’s exciting to score the first goal ever on our new pitch,” said Washington, who is from Wellesley, Ontario. “I’m an attacking fullback looking to score. I just ran up, saw myself in front of the net so I might as well shoot it.”
Grisdale enabled the Black Bears to enter the intermission with the 1-0 lead by clearing the ball off the UMaine goal line following a goal-bound header off a Bryant corner kick.
But it was another corner kick that produced the tying goal in the second half.
Luke’s corner kick pinballed around the UMaine penalty area and Ardolino drilled it home from eight yards out for her first college goal.
“I don’t know if someone got their head on it or something. It just landed right in front of me and I was able to hit it. It was in between one of the players on the post and the goalkeeper and it just went in,” Ardolino said.
UMaine began playing with a sense of urgency as it sought to break the tie.
The Black Bears attempted 12 shots in the second half to Bryant’s three and had a decided edge in possession but they weren’t able to turn that advantage into a goal.
They finished the game with 18 shot attempts to Bryant’s six but managed to put just four of those attempts on goal and the three saves Mejia wound up making were comfortable ones that didn’t really test her.
Victoria Dungey did get free in the penalty box on a Black Bear corner kick late in the contest but her glancing header sailed wide of the far corner.
Bryant generated some dangerous counter attacks over the course of the night and wound up with a 6-2 edge in corner kicks.
UMaine freshman goalie Elena Barenberg wound up with two saves.
Atherley said his team played well up until it got into the attacking third.
“We didn’t produce a lot of quality shots with all the possession we had,” Atherley said.
UMaine travels to take on Binghamton on Sunday at noon while Bryant will entertain Albany on Sunday at 1 p.m.
“We were good in the build up but we have to be more clinical in front of goal and that’s something we’re going to work on going forward,” said UMaine senior forward and co-captain Julie Lossius.
