ORONO, Maine – On Wednesday, June 8, head coach
Scott Atherley released the women's soccer schedule for the upcoming 2022 season. The slate features 16 contests, including six non-league and one exhibition game prior to the start of America East Conference play.
The Black Bears kick off the regular season with a road game at Sacred Heart on Thursday, Aug. 18. The meeting with the Pioneers will be the eighth contest between the two teams with Maine dominating the series, 7-1, and out-scoring Sacred Heart, 12-3.
Maine will then travel back to Orono for a three game home stand starting with a non-conference matchup against St. Peters (Aug. 21). The Black Bears defeated the Peacocks on the road in 2019, 2-0. Maine will continue its home stretch with a game versus Merrimack (Aug. 25). Each team owns a victory in the all-time series. Last year's contest ended in a 1-1 tie. The home stand concludes with a game against Bryant (Aug. 28). The newly minted America East Bulldogs will make the trip up 95 looking to avenge last season's 1-0 loss to the Black Bears. The game will be the first of two matches against Bryant in 2022 and will not be considered an America East contest.
Maine will finish August and begin September with a trip through southern New England. On August 31, the Black Bears face Holy Cross in Worcester, MA for a mid-week matchup. The Black Bears defeated the Crusaders on the road in 2017, 1-0. On Saturday, September 3, Maine heads to Hamden, CT to play Quinnipiac University. The Bobcats won last season's contest 4-1, in Orono.
On September 7, the Black Bears begin a three-game homestand with an exhibition game against the University of New Brunswick. Holy Cross returns to Orono on September 11, for a second game before Maine begins conference play on Sunday, September 18 versus NJIT.
Following their conference opener, Maine hits the road for a pair of America East contests. On September 25, the Black bears travel to Baltimore to face UMBC. Last fall the Retrievers snagged a 1-0 victory in Orono. Before returning to Vacationland, the next chapter of the 'Border Battle' will be written with a game in Durham, New Hampshire versus UNH (Sept. 29).
Albany makes the trip from Northern New York to the University of Maine on Sunday, October 2. The Great Danes earned a 1-0 victory last season in Albany. The Black Bears play their first road contest in October with a game in Burlington, Vermont against the Catamounts on Oct. 9.
Maine returns to Orono for a two-game home stand beginning on Oct.13, against UMass Lowell. The class of 2023 will play its final regular season home game at Mahaney Diamond on Sunday, Oct. 16 against Binghamton.
Bryant will welcome Maine for the first ever America East match-up between the two schools on October 23, to conclude the regular season.
The quarter-final round of the America East playoffs is set for October 30, the semi-finals are scheduled for November 3, and the league championship game is planned for November 6.
Maine is looking to make its 14th America East postseason tournament in the last 20 seasons.
You can view the entire schedule
HERE.
-UMaine-
