CASTINE and GORHAM, ME
UMPI Men's Soccer went into their final two weekends of play controlling their own destiny as far as clinching a playoff spot goes. They faced off with Maine Maritime Academy in a big NAC matchup on Saturday afternoon, and then a non-conference game against University of Southern Maine on Sunday. Unfortunately for the Owls, the dynamic change after a loss in Castine.
Saturday: 3-0 Mariners
How it Happened:
Though the score ended up lopsided the Owls were not stagnant offensively as they fired nine shots on the day, though only two would be on target. UMPI had a trio of corner kicks as well, and a few other chances to get on the board, though in the end they couldn't do so. In the 11th minute, MMA got on the board with a goal from James Baur that made it 1-0. The Owls put three shots up, and survived a few more from MMA until the 33rd minute when the Mariners went up 2-0 on an unassisted goal by John-John Dickenson.
In the second half the Owls continued to fight as the score was very much still in hand, but a foul in the box led to an MMA penalty kick. They didn't miss on the golden opportunity and made it 3-0, which was a much drearier outlook for the Owls to get back in it. They continued to threaten the rest of the way but could never punch one in while they held MMA scoreless the remainder of the game.
Top Performers:
Junior Captain Isaac Doore led the charge offensively with his three shots. He had UMPI's only two on target shots. Max Kennedy had a couple of shots as well, while Brett Senal had six saves in goal for UMPI.
Sunday: 5-0 Huskies
How it Happened:
After the disappointing loss on Sunday, the Owls played a non-conference game against the University of Southern Maine out of the Little East Conference in UMPI's second-to-last game of their regular season. The Owls again had a few shots, (three on target), but no luck in getting on the board. The Huskies scored quickly in the 7th and 15th minutes to take a stranglehold on the game at 2-0. They'd tack on one more before halftime in the 32nd minute to lead 3-0 at halftime. USM scored 41 seconds into the second half, and then again in the 68th minute for their total of five goals, as they put it in cruise-control the rest of the game.
Top Performers:
UMPI was led offensively by Ethan Cameron who had three shots, all of which on goal—as he himself had all three of UMPI's shots on target much like Doore the day before. Isaac Doore had two shots and Billy Wray had one for the team's total of six.
Next Up:
UMPI no longer controls their own destiny going into the final game of the season, now sitting in a tie for the 7th place as they will face off with the first-place Thomas College Terriers for Senior Day on October 25th. The Owls do still have a chance to qualify for the final spot (6 seed) if they get help from other teams. All teams wrap up their conference season on Saturday with game times all simultaneous. Their clinching scenario is as follows:
With a tie with Thomas College, UMPI will need:
· Lyndon win over Lesley
· Farmington win over Johnson
· SUNY Delhi win over SUNY Cobleskill
With a win over Thomas College, UMPI will need:
· Farmington win or Tie with Johnson
· SUNY Delhi win or Tie with SUNY Cobleskill
Needless to say, a win gives UMPI the best chance of qualifying but doesn't guarantee a spot as Cobleskill currently clings on to the final spot. UMPI does, however, hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Cobleskill thanks to their 1-0 win over the Tigers last week, so coming within a tie of Cobleskill will be enough to finish ahead of them. All-in-all, the Owls would have liked a win or a tie this past weekend, but still the Owls will be playing meaningful soccer on their final day of the season.
