PREVIEW: Field Hockey Hits the Road Looking for 9th and 10th Straight Victories

ORONO - The University of Maine field hockey team is in the midst of a historic tear, becoming just the eighth team in program history to win eight games in a row, as they look to continue their winning ways with a pair of battles on the road this weekend.

The 2021 Black Bears are on a path to the record books, chasing some of the best teams in program history. The 1996 and 2002 squads won nine straight, and the program record of eleven wins in a row was set by the 2011 team. The current win streak is the third-longest active streak in the NCAA. On this run, the Bears have outscored their opponents 30-10.

This Friday, the Black Bears begin their weekend road trip when they face the Catamounts of Vermont (9-5) in Burlington at 2:00 on AmericaEast.tv. UVM is coming off a weekend doubleheader against the same teams that faced the Black Bears in Orono - the University of California and UC Davis. The Catamounts blanked UC Davis on Friday 4-0, and were then shutout themselves by Cal on Sunday, 2-0. In comparison, the Black Bears stole both games from the cross-country opposition by a combined 10-1 score. Poppy Lambert and Chloe Walton lead the way on offense, each with 3 goals on the weekend.

The Catamounts are lead on offense by senior Clodagh Ferry who has a team-high 8 goals and 18 points, along with Alina Gerke and Kate Hall who have both amassed 15 points. In goal, Sierra Espeland has started all fourteen games and holds a .761 save percentage and a 1.58 goals-against average.

On Sunday at 11:00 AM, the Black Bears will take on Bryant University in a neutral site contest hosted by UNH. The Bulldogs (0-12) have struggled through this season, yet to secure a win, and will go into this weekend first playing Rider on Friday before meeting the Black Bears. Bryant averages just one goal per game and 3.40 against. Graduate student Carson Dennis leads the way with 3 goals, and senior Marijn Jaarsma has started all 12 games with a .765 save percentage in net.

Maine enters the weekend ranked second in the conference and 14th in the nation with 2.75 goals per game and they sit atop the conference and 12th in the nation with 2.57 assists per game. Leading those efforts statistically are Poppy Lambert, whose ten goals rank her first in the America East and sixth nationally, and Madisyn Hartley, who leads the conference with nine assists, good for 12th in the nation. Maine's +0.83 scoring margin also ranks them 24th in the land,

A successful weekend by Maine will put them one game away from tying the program record of eleven straight wins and put them in a perfect position to host the America East Tournament.

For more information and to follow along, stay tuned to @MaineFH on Twitter and Instagram.

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Players Mentioned

#2 Madisyn Hartley: F; 5' 3"; Junior

#8 Poppy Lambert: B; 5' 6"; Sophomore

#10 Chloe Walton: F; 5' 9"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#2 Madisyn Hartley
: 5' 3"; Junior
: F

#8 Poppy Lambert
: 5' 6"; Sophomore
: B

#10 Chloe Walton
: 5' 9"; Senior
: F

Players Mentioned

#2 Madisyn Hartley

#8 Poppy Lambert

#10 Chloe Walton

Players Mentioned

#2 Madisyn Hartley

#8 Poppy Lambert

#10 Chloe Walton