NO. 6 WOMEN'S SOCCER EDGED BY THIRD-SEEDED MAINE IN OT, 2-1

Thursday, October 29

2 pm

University of New Hampshire

Maine

10/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

ORONO, Maine - Senior Shaunna Kaplan (Framingham, Mass.) scored to tie the game with 7:59 to play in regulation, but the sixth-seeded University of New Hampshire women's soccer team suffered a 2-1 defeat in overtime to No. 3 University of Maine in the America East Championship quarterfinal round at Alumni Field on Thursday afternoon.

The Wildcats, who suffered their 10^th one-goal loss of the season, wrap up their 2009 campaign at 4-14-1 overall, while the Black Bears improve to 9-5-2 on the season and advance to the semifinal round at No. 2 Binghamton University on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Trailing 1-0 early in the 83^rd minute, Kaplan received a feed from classmate Morgan Keefe (South Burlington, Vt.) and beat Maine goalkeeper Meagan Price-Leibenzeder with a high-arching shot to knot the game. Kaplan, who was named to the America East All-Conference Second Team a day earlier, netted her third goal of the season to mark the second time this season the Wildcats have sent a game to overtime with a tally in the final eight minutes. Keefe scored with 1:00 on the clock against Siena on Sept. 6 to tie the game at two.

Just 1:46 into the overtime period, however, Maine notched the game winner when 2009 America East Striker of the Year Laura Martel scored her 13^th goal of the season. Martel received a cross from Carolyne Nellis as senior goalkeeper Ally Yost (Langhorne, Pa.) went down, and Martel put the ball into the left side of the vacant net to lift her squad to victory.

Maine jumped on the board in the 36^th minute when Kelsey Wilson took control of a loose ball in the box and fired it into the lower right corner to give the Black Bears a 1-0 lead.

Yost stopped nine shots, while Price-Leibenzeder, an All-Rookie Team honoree, made five saves.

Maine held a 20-10 advantage in shots and a 7-1 edge in corner kicks.

This marked the final game for seniors Kaplan, Keefe, Yost, Meg Wiley (Norwell, Mass.), Jenna Duncan (Ivyland, Pa.) and Alex Hastings (Fort Collins, Colo.).