Box Score AUGUSTA, ME: This season has been surrounded by a lot of optimism for the UMPI Owls, who took down University of Maine at Augusta on Saturday afternoon in their season opener. UMPI brought in 15 new players to the squad and saw some of those first-years pay immediate dividends, while the veteran experience blended very well to this new-look club.

The first half ended up being a scoreless affair as the UMA Moose threatened a couple times early, but first-year keeper Mia Voisine (Fort Kent) stayed sharp in net while graduate students Amelia Ivey and Monica McLaughlin helped lock down the defense. The Owls out-shot the Moose 12-7 in the first half, though they had no goals to show for it.

In the second half, the game stayed a stalemate after switching sides. Both teams continued to threaten, hitting the post and cross bar on multiple occasions. That was until the 67^th minute when the Owls lulled the Moose to sleep on a cross from the right wing into the box from Sophomore Taylor Marston found Freshman Abby Doughty who one-touched the ball strong into the upper-90 to put the Owls on top. Doughty was one of four freshman players recruited by Coach Ala from Ashland, Maine. She scored her first collegiate goal, and the first of the season for UMPI.

The freshman impact continued into the 82^nd minute when Madelynn Morrow (Caribou, Maine) found the ball around 30 yards out, made a great move to get around her defender and launched the ball from well outside the 18' over the keeper and into the back of the net. This made the game 2-0, and from there, the Owls were able to earn the team-win by keeping field position and killing the clock.

UMPI starts off their season exactly how they wanted to and improve to 1-0. Their next contest will be Sunday, September 8^th at 2:00 PM as they host Fisher College for the home opener.

The complete box score of this match is to follow.