ORONO - The University of Maine field hockey program returns to action this weekend, beginning their 2021 fall season against the No. 7 ranked Eagles of Boston College and the Minutewomen of Massachusetts on Saturday and Sunday.
FULL SCHEDULE
A LOOK AT THE BEARS
Maine returns their entire roster from the spring season, including 2020 Midfielder of the Year Hana Davis and 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Cassandra Mascarenhas who missed the last seven games of the 11-game spring with a broken finger. The coaching staff of Head Coach Josette Babineau and Associate Head Coach Michelle Simpson were also named America East co-Coaching Staff of the Year, as well as the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Northeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year after tying a program-record with seven America East victories in the spring.
Alongside the two major award winners on the pitch, Maine returns two-time All-Conference selectee Chloe Walton and Second Team All-Conference recipient Brittany Smith alongside All-Rookie selections Poppy Lambert and Tereza Holubcova.
Returning for her fourth season in net, Mia Borley looks to build on an all-time career that has her already ranked in the top five in program history in career saves (195), shutouts (11), save percentage (.415), and wins (30).
Expectations are sky-high for the Black Bears, who were selected a narrow second in the America East Preseason Poll, as they pursue the program's first America East Championship and first trip to the NCAA Tournament.
THE OPPONENTS
The Eagles enter the season ranked seventh in the first NFHCA poll of the season, and were selected second in the ACC preseason poll led by national No. 1 North Carolina. The Minutewomen were selected to finish third in the A10 Conference after going 7-4 last spring.
This is the second straight season Maine will open against the Eagles and the fourth in program history. Maine is 2-16 overall against BC with wins coming in 1991 and 2011. UMass has a similar stranglehold on the relationship, with Maine posting a lackluster 1-17-1 all-time record and the only win coming in 2005.
Last year, Maine began their season in the exact same fashion, dropping game one to Boston College by a 5-3 final with Mia Borley tying her career high with 11 saves followed by a 2-1 loss to Massachusetts on a game-winning goal with 1:18 remaining in the contest.
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