BURLINGTON, Vt. – The No. 25 Maine Black Bears field hockey team prevented the opposition from scoring for the second-consecutive game, downing Vermont 1-0 at Moulton Winder Field on Friday afternoon. With the win, Maine is now 12-4 and 6-1 in America East play, while Vermont falls to 5-11, and 1-6 in conference.
Brittany Smith scored the lone goal of the game in the 59
th minute for the game-winning goal. Maine controlled the pace-of-play for the majority of the game, outshooting the Catamounts 12-4 on the day, including 8-2 in shots on goal.
Smith's goal marks her third of the season, and her second game-winning goal in three games. The sophomore corralled the ball in front of the net, spun and fired a shot to the right side past the Catamount goalkeeper.
Maine earned two penalty corners, while Vermont recorded just one on the day.
With back-to-back shutouts, redshirt senior
Emma Cochran has held opponents scoreless for the last 194 minutes, spanning three games. Cochran last allowed a goal in the 16
th minute against UMass Lowell on Oct. 20. She tallied two saves on the day, while Vermont's Lena Benwood registered seven on the day.
The last time Maine shutout the opposition in back-to-back games was last season, when the Black Bears defeated UC Davis 6-0 on September 10, and followed that performance with a 2-0 victory over Bryant on September 16.
The 194-minute scoreless streak marks the longest since the 2014 season, when Maine recorded three-straight shutouts against Brown (6-0), Central Michigan (2-0), and UMass Lowell (4-0). The streak lasted a total of 223 minutes spanning parts of five games.
Maine closes out the regular season at home against rival New Hampshire on Sunday at the UMaine field hockey contest. The Black Bears will honor seniors Cochran,
Madison Cummings, and
Emily Corbett pregame for their contributions to the field hockey program and the University.
With a win against New Hampshire, UMaine will clinch the number one seed in the upcoming America East Championships for the East Division.
-UMaine-