Auburn, ME - In their first game in 660 days, the Mustangs Women's Soccer team were able to get a good look at their 2021 squad before a large crowd in a home scrimmage v the NCAA Div III Thomas College Terriers, 2018 North Atlantic Conference finalists. Not only was it the first home athletic contest since covid restrictions shut down all college athletics in Maine in 2020, but it was the first live-streamed soccer game in school history so there was a lot of learning taking place.
Both teams went into the game intending to use it solely for evaluation purposes but the competitive energy of athletes from both teams who were denied a 2020 season due to covid took over making it look more like a mid-season game than the preseason scrimmage that it was.
After repeated attempts down their right flank were denied by Mustangs freshman goalkeeper Emma Johnson (Monmouth, ME), the Terriers opened up the scoring in the 39th minute on a goal by freshman Mary Larochelle. It was only two minutes later that a Johnson punt found junior captain and USCAA second team All-American Samantha Belardo (Russell, MA) at mid field where she drove through the Thomas defense and beat their keeper with a left-footed shot to level the score. The half ended 1-1.
Just under the mid point of the second half, the Thomas College Terriers went up 2-1 on a goal by Abby MacDonald who converted a corner kick past Mustangs second half keeper Allie Annear (Auburn, ME). The game went back and forth throughout the second half with both teams creating scoring opportunities at each end of the field only to be denied by both goalkeepers and the final score had Thomas College coming out on top 2-1.
The Mustangs open their season on the road on Saturday Sep 4 in Fall River, MA v Bristol Community College followed by a game in Saranac Lake, NY against North Country Community College. Mustangs home games will be live streamed by Munzing Media, so don't miss the action!
