PRESQUE ISLE, ME
In the first conference game of the season, the Owls put up a serious fight against perennial contender, the UMaine Farmington Beavers. UMPI played hard-nosed defense but didn't put up enough shots to keep pace with the Beavers.
How it Happened:
The game started out much how it went throughout. UMF dominated possession time, but UMPI kept them at bay and prevented any golden opportunities. That was until the 31st minute when Vishal Mellor volleyed a shot home that brought out the keeper and bounced high in the air. The Owls narrowly escaped going down 2-0 a few minutes later but Brett Senal made the save of his young career when he recovered on a ball that went on his hands as he laid on his back at the goal line.
The Owls avoided any other close calls for the rest of the first half and went into halftime trailing 1-0. In the second half, UMPI would knock a couple times on counter-attacks but UMF continued to dominate possession. With the game locked in a 1-0 stalemate, a penalty spelled the end of the road for the Owls in this game. JJ Greenlaw scored the Penalty Kick to put the nail in the coffin. They would add one more goal with less than a minute remaining to put a cherry on top for a finals core of 3-0.
UMF outshot UMPI 17-3 on the day and 11-1 for shots on goal.
Top Performers:
Brett Senal was the standout performer for UMPI, making seven saves including the acrobatic one in the first half that kept the Owls in it. Max Kennedy had two shots for UMPI and the only one on target. Jovain Barrett had the other shot for the Owls.
Next Up:
The Owls have a few hours to rest up before they take the pitch again on Sunday as they host Lesley University. That game is scheduled to kick off at 2:30pm.
