The University of Maine women’s soccer team turned in its best performance in an NCAA Tournament game last week with a 2-0 loss at Central Florida.
That’s according to head coach Scott Atherley, who said that has given the Black Bears a big shot in the arm in looking ahead to next season.
In its two previous NCAA Tournament games, the three-time America East champion Black Bears fell behind Wisconsin 2-0 in the first 3:27 of last year’s 3-1 loss and in the first 23:47 of their 3-0 setback to Harvard in 2023.
But the Black Bears generated two quality chances early in the Central Florida game, according to Atherley, with one requiring a “phenomenal save” by UCF goalie Genesis Perez Watson off a Gillian Rovers shot.
UMaine fell behind 1-0 at the 20:11 mark. Central Florida added an insurance goal midway through the second half ,but UMaine created some good chances late.
Atherley said his team’s start to the game “couldn’t have been any better, and that was really important considering the previous two NCAA games.”
And that gives the Black Bears more momentum heading into next season.
“The way this year ended, we couldn’t have more belief going into a new season, especially considering how we had to adapt with our injuries,” Atherley said.
Freshman midfielder-winger Teagan Atherley, the coach’s daughter, and sophomore winger Aja Turner were lost for the season due to injuries at the outset of the season. Turner never played in a game and Atherley got injured in the opener.
Starting center backs Rebecca Grisdale and Lea Schroder sustained season-ending injuries midway through the conference regular season schedule, and leading scorer Emma Nicholson was sidelined the last six games.
The Black Bears coach says his team has “tremendous confidence” heading into next season based on what they were able to do despite those injuries, and the fact that they will be getting injured players back for the next campaign.
“When they walked off the field after the game in Florida, their sentiment was we want to get beyond this,” Atherley said. “It’s great to get here and it’s not easy to get here, but we want more. We want to get to the second round.”
The Black Bears will lose Grisdale to graduation along with wingers Julie Lossius, Jordane Pinette and Madison Michaud; striker Rovers; midfielder Amelia Ames and back-up goalkeeper Jordan Wolf.
Lossius and Pinette each had three goals and two assists for eight points, which tied for the team lead with Nicholson, who had two goals and four assists.
Goals count for two points and assists count for one in season scoring statistics.
Gorham’s Michaud had an assist and played some “great minutes for us” according to Atherley.
Pinette was an All-America East second team pick in 2024 and was on the All-Rookie Team in 2022. Grisdale was selected to the AE all-tourney team in 2023.
Rovers had a goal.
Ames and Falmouth’s Wolf didn’t see any playing time.
Grisdale’s sophomore sister Ollvia filled in nicely for her big sister after moving from the midfield to the back line. The Black Bears return five other experienced backs in Schroder, Amanda Clauzel, Meghan Bernetti, Hilary Washington and Grace Johnson.
Johnson had two goals and an assist; Bernetti had a goal and an assist and Washington had a goal, the first UMaine goal scored on its new New Balance Soccer Complex facility.
Bernetti, Washington and Grisdale played all 90 minutes against Central Florida; Johnson played 53 and Clauzel played 37 minutes.
Windham’s Stella Jarvais and Thornton Academy of Saco’s Charlotte Belanger are versatile players who have promising futures in the back, according to Atherley. Both were freshmen. Belanger appeared in two games before sustaining an ankle injury and Jarvais didn’t play.
The three midfielders who started the NCAA game will all be back in All-America East second team pick Luise Reinwald, who finished with a goal and three assists; Windham’s Abbey Thornton (3 goals, 1 assist) and Victoria Dungey (2 goals, 3 assists).
Dungey had the game-winning goal in the second overtime of the 1-0 victory over top seed Binghamton in the conference semifinals.
Olivia Scott, a former Bangor High standout, was a midfielder who didn’t see any playing time.
Nicholson and Rockport freshman Britta Denny (one goal) return up front along with freshman Audrey Palmer, who appeared in seven games.
Teagan Atherley could see some duty as a wing as well as in the midfield, and Turner will play on the wing.
Goalkeeper Elena Barenberg, chosen to the All-Rookie team, had an outstanding season. She posted a 5-5-3 record, a 1.27 goals-against average and a .734 save percentage. She made two saves in the America East championship game win over second seed Vermont in the penalty kick shootout.
Grace Wilson (1-3-1, 2.00, .655) is a capable backup.
Atherley said he and his staff are looking to bring in eight new players for next season.
