The University of Southern Maine field hockey team defeated Framingham State 4-0 last Wednesday in Gorham. The victory was the fourth consecutive for the Huskies, who improved their overall record to 11-5 with less than a week to go before the Little East Conference tournament.
Sophomore Jen Mason of Leicester, VT scored the game’s first goal just five minutes into the first half, giving USM a 1-0 lead. One goal was enough to secure the victory for the Huskies as senior goaltender Jessie Superchi of Campton, NH recorded her third straight shutout. Superchi was recognized as the Little East Conference (LCE) defensive player of the week for her efforts. It marked the fifth time this season that Superchi has earned the honor.
Senior tri-captain Renee Heath of Brunswick, ME was another of the game’s stars adding two goals early in the second half to put the game out of reach. After the win, Heath was excited about the victory and the Huskies chances to succeed in the post season. “The seniors are especially fired up going into the rest of the season and the post season, and I couldn’t imagine being out there without them and the team. ” The bond that Heath and her senior teammates have formed has been an important part of the team’s success. According to Heath the team is ready for the post season. “We have really grown as a team and I feel right now we are peaking at the right time,” said Heath. “Everyone is playing well and when we play you can feel the intensity out there and you can feel everyone is on the same page,” she said.
Senior tri-captain Deedra Boudreau of Camden, ME assisted on Heath’s first goal, and agreed with her teammate about the Huskies chances to succeed in the Little East Conference Tournament. Boudreau added that she and her teammates continue to set their sights on the NCAA tournament . “We had high expectations for ourselves at the beginning of the season, and we continue to here in the latter part. We’ve had our eyes set on NCAA’s for some time now.”
Head Coach Bonny Brown-Denico believes that the strong leadership of Boudreau, Heath, and the other seniors has been an integral part of her team’s success. “Our goal coming into season was to go one game at a time and to win the Little East Conference Tournament,” said Brown-Denico who acknowledged that the LEC Tournament will likely be decided at Keene State, on artificial turf. While the Huskies play the majority of their games on natural grass, Brown-Denico believes her team will be ready for whatever challenges it may face. “We have a lot of experienced players who know how to adjust. So basically, it will be a mind over matter tournament for us.”
The top seven teams in Little East Conference play qualify for the conference’s postseason tournament which kicks-off on November 4. The Huskies will qualify for the tournament, and could ride the strong goaltending of Jessie Superchi, and senior leadership of its tri-captains deep into the postseason. A Little East Conference championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament for the Huskies could require a win over undefeated conference leader Keene State on that team’s home field. The Huskies fell to Keene State 3-0 in conference play on October 11.
Joe Pierce can be contacted at [email protected].