ORONO, Maine - The University of Maine field hockey team got their America East schedule started on Friday afternoon with a defensive-dominated 1-0 victory over the River Hawks of UMass Lowell.

The Black Bears defense held Lowell to just two shots and only one on goal, and goalkeeper Mia Borley handled it with ease, as the Maine squad notched their first shutout victory of 2019 and their first win in three weeks to move to 1-0 in conference play and 2-7 overall.

MAINE GAME NOTES

• Brianna Ricker continued her dominant senior season with the lone Black Bears goal of the day, a redirect off of a corner play run through Cassandra Mascarenhas that easily found the back of the cage early in the third quarter. 
• The goal gave Ricker seven on the year and Mascarenhas her third assist, both team-highs.
• Maine suffocated the River Hawks offense all day, outshooting them by a 19-2 margin and a 6-1 mark on shots on goal, thanks in large part to the back line led by senior co-captain Brittany Smith. 

UP NEXT

• Maine will dip back out of conference play for their next tilt, a Sunday afternoon matchup with No. 5 Northwestern played at Boston College. That game is set to begin at 2:30 PM, with live stats available here. Stay tuned to the @UMaineFH Twitter and Instagram for up to the minute updates.