ORONO, Maine – The University of Maine women's soccer team will embark on its 28^th season this weekend, kicking off the year Sunday when it hosts LIU Brooklyn. The Black Bears are entering their 19th season under the direction of head coach Scott Atherely.
 
Fans are invited to stick around following the game to Meet the Black Bears as part of the series brought to you by Dominos. Members of the team, along with the coaching staff, will be handing out free posters and signing autographs for all fans in attendance.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Maine vs. LIU Brooklyn
DATE: Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017
TIME: 1 p.m.
SITE: Mahaney Diamond – Orono, Maine (artificial surface)
2017 RECORDS: Maine 0-0, LIU Brooklyn 0-1
VIDEO: StretchInternet.com
LIVE STATS: GoBlackBears.com
TWITTER: @BlackBearSoccer
 
About the Black Bears
• Maine is coming off of a 2016 season in which it earned its fifth-straight America East Postseason Tournament berth and its 13th overall in the last 14 seasons.
• The Black Bears return their second-leading scorer from a season ago in sophomore Kaitlyn Ball, who had two goals and three assists for seven points during her rookie campaign.
• Three players who started all 16 contests a year ago are also back in seniors Kendra Ridley and Amy Falkin and junior Mikayla Morin, with Ridley leading the team last year with a total of 1,467 minutes logged.
• In goal, Maine brings back both goaltenders in junior Samantha Cobotic (3-6-0; 3 shutouts; .806 save percentage; 1.29 goals against average) and sophomore Annalena Kriebisch (4-3-0; 3 SO; .872 sv%; 0.71 GAA).
 
About LIU Brooklyn
• The Blackbirds dropped their season opener on Friday night at New Hampshire, 2-0.
• Junior goalkeeper Aline Allmann made 15 saves in the contest.
• In 2016, the Blackbirds went 2-15-0 overall and owned a 1-10-0 mark on the road.
• LIU was picked eighth in the nine-team Northeast Conference preseason poll.
• Head coach Eleri Earnshaw is in her first season at the helm of the Blackbirds.
 
The Series with LIU Brooklyn
• The Black Bears and Blackbirds have met twice before, with Maine winning both matches.
• Maine took last year's season-opener at LIU, 2-0, with Annalena Kriebisch making five saves for her first career shutout.
• The teams also met in 2015, with Maine taking the home contest, 2-1.
 
About Head Coach Scott Atherley
• Now in his 25th season as a head coach in the NCAA, Scott Atherley is entering his 19th season as the Maine women's soccer program's head coach.
• In 1993, Atherley took over as head coach of the UMaine men's team and took on head coaching duties of the women's team in 1999 – coaching both squads that year – and has led the team to conference postseason berths in 13 of the last 14 seasons.
• Atherley was a four-year letter-winner at UMaine between 1984 and 1987, serving as captain during his final season.
 
Opening Whistle
• The Black Bears are 16-11 all-time in season-opening games, including a mark of 7-3 over the last 10 season-openers.

Oh Captain, My Captain
• Kendra Ridley will serve as the captain for the Black Bears this season, marking the third-straight year that the Ottawa, Ontario native will wear the armband.

International Appeal
• The Black Bears have four different countries represented on the team roster in the United States, Canada, Norway and Germany.
• Maine has three players each that hail from Maine and Connecticut, and one each from New York, Georgia, Florida and New Hampshire.
 • There are three Canadian provinces represented with four players coming from Ontario, three from Nova Scotia and one from Quebec.
• There is a three-payer European contingent, with two players hailing from Norway and one from Germany.

Up Next
• Maine will travel to Brown on Friday, Aug. 25 for a matchup with the Bears.
• The Black Bears will return to Mahaney Diamond on Sunday, Aug. 27 at 2 p.m. when they host the Northeastern Huskies.