Auburn, ME - The Mustangs traveled to Concord, NH on Thursday to take on Yankee Small College Conference opponent NHTI. Within the last few years, this matchup has become a very unpredictable one with some close games and some one-sided ones, frequently within the same year. This one was about as close and evenly played as you can get.  

Central Maine opened the game having to adjust to some very good wide play by the Lynx and the game was played up and down the edges of the field with both teams trading shots. NHTI got on the board first after a rare mistake from the Mustang back line led to a goal by Adrienne Dorr assisted by Maggie Brown. That would be all the scoring over the first 45 minutes and the Lynx took a 1-0 lead into the half-time break.  

The Mustangs came out in the second half not wanting to change anything other than tightening up the play in central midfield and the game continued at a back and forth pace. Central Maine made very few substitutions over the course of the game preferring not to break their momentum, something that is not unusual in a tight game against a conference opponent, preferring instead to rely on the high fitness level of their starting lineup. With just under 14 minutes left in the game a passing combination of Mya Sirois (Monmouth, ME) to Lakyn Hink (Porter, ME) found Natalie Tracy (Oakland, ME) on a run to the Lynx net with Tracy beating the NHTI keeper with a low shot to the corner to level the score at 1-1.  

Both teams had some quality opportunities over the remaining time and both keepers denied those shots. NHTI keeper Hailey Knight finished with 11 saves on 12 shots on goal while Mustang keeper Emma Knowles (Manchester, ME) had 9 saves on 10 shots on goal. Shots taken overall were relatively even with the Mustangs having a slight edge with 22 shots to the Lynx 19.   

The Mustangs are back on the road again on Sunday, September 17 in Bangor against NCAA DIII foe, Husson University.