The University of Southern Maine’s field hockey and volleyball teams wrapped up their regular seasons last week with high hopes for the postseason. Both teams will compete in Little East Conference (LEC) tournaments which are scheduled to begin this week. On Tuesday, Nov. 4 the field hockey team will host an opening round game with the opponent to be announced. The volleyball team will host Keene State College on Wednesday, Nov. 5 in opening round action.
Field Hockey
The Huskies field hockey team will enter the LEC tournament as an underdog. USM (prior to press time) holds a season record of 13 wins and five losses, and stands with seven wins and losses in the LEC. Keene State could prove to be the biggest competitor for the Huskies, after finishing conference play undefeated. The Huskies are determined to win and are ready for action, finishing their season with six consecutive victories.
The head coach for the field hockey team, Bonny Brown-Denico, said that while senior leadership has been key to the Huskies success this season, the efforts of the team’s underclassmen should not be overlooked. “I don’t want anything taken away from the hard work and efforts put in by the underclassmen,” said Brown-Denico. “We have solid players who have certainly made a difference in our season to date.”
Brown-Denico added that she expects her team to advance to the tournament’s final four. “The final four I suspect will be Keene State (definitely hosting), Plymouth State, USM and either Bridgewater or Worcester. I think between Plymouth, USM and Bridgewater – we have the best chance of winning on turf.” Keene State and Worcester play their home games on artificial turf all year long, giving the two teams the advantage as far as the field surface is concerned. “When you throw Keene and Worcester into the mix [teams] that play on turf all year – it will certainly be interesting,” said Brown-Denico.
Volleyball
The USM women’s volleyball team recently concluded one of the most successful seasons in the program’s history. The Huskies finished the regular season with 18 wins, and 11 losses, including four wins and three losses in the Little East Conference. The team’s LEC Tournament first round opponent, Keene State, concluded their season with a (3-4) record in the LEC, and defeated USM earlier in the season. The postseason appearance is the first for the Huskies since their program, disbanded in 1987, was reinstated in 1995.
Junior Mandy Dessert, of Bridgewater, NH, stated earlier this season that USM had an excellent opportunity to succeed in the LEC. “We have lots of good talent and are going to do well in the LEC. We have a chance this year in the LEC, a hard conference with lots of good competition, and our goal is to get into the tournament.” Dessert’s expectations have been filled as the team prepares for their first round game in LEC tournament play. Western Connecticut enters this year’s LEC tournament as a clear favorite. The Colonials finished an undefeated LEC season with a record of seven wins and no losses.
Head coach for the USM volleyball team, John Razsa, added some further insight regarding the team’s expectations for postseason action. “Every goal in each season is to win the first round of the LEC tournament.”
Joe Pierce can be contacted at [email protected].