11/7/07

Field hockey knocked out of NCAAs

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The University of Maine at Farmington field hockey team's season came to an end on Wednesday with a 5-1 loss to Middlebury College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The Beavers closed their season at 13-6 with their second straight NAC title and their fourth in five seasons. Middlebury (14-4) advances to the second round at the College of New Jersey.

Reid Berrien scored a pair of goals and assisted on a goal for the Panthers and Lacey Farrell chipped in with a goal and an assist as Middlebury outshot Farmington 40-4.

Middlebury opened the scoring at the 7:32 mark as Berrien carried the ball down the middle before winding up and blasting a shot into the right side of the cage from the outside. The goal was her team-leading 19th of the season.

The Panthers threatened again later in the half, but a defensive save by Ashley Weeks (Wilton, ME) and then a pair from Renee Trafton (Corinth, ME) kept it a 1-0 game.

Farrell gave Middlebury a 2-0 lead at 19:19 as she put home her own rebound. After several penalty corners, the Panthers broke through at 26:25 as Heather McCormack deflected an outside shot from Chase Delano to give Middlebury a 3-0 lead at intermission.

Farmington got onto the board 1:46 into the second half as Erika Lucas (Augusta, ME) put home a shot down low that was sent in by Andrea Tyler (Augusta, ME) to make it 3-1.

Berrien scored her second of the game from a tough angle near the end line at 47:32 and made a nice crossing pass to Farrell at 50:28 for the 5-1 final.

Kaeleigh Barker (Chichester, NH) made 14 saves for the Beavers.

Caitlin Pentifallo ended the day with a pair of saves to earn the win.

Box score