GORHAM, Maine  –  Junior Mallory Lloyd (Hartland, Vermont/The Sharon Academy) and sophomore Sarah Hicks (Sutton, Mass./Sutton Memorial) each scored first half goals and sophomore goalkeeper Cat Robbins (Franklin, Mass.) made several outstanding saves to lead the Plymouth State University Panthers to a 2-1 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference women's soccer game Wednesday night at Hannaford Field. 

Earning its third consecutive win, Plymouth State is now 5-4 overall and 2-0 in the Little East Conference. The Panthers are now 2-2 on the road.  Dropping its third straight, the Huskies now stand at 4-6-1 and 0-3 in the Little East Conference. 

ON THE PITCH: 

Despite owning more of the chances early in the contest, Southern Maine found itself down 2-0 in the first half.  Pressuring early, Southern Maine nearly had a goal in the third minute when junior Ciera Berthiaume's (Windham, Maine) low driven shot was pushed aside on a diving effort from Robbins. In the eighth, Robbins stopped another tough look from Berthiaume to keep the game at 0-0 before a defensive miscue on the Huskies' end of the field led to an open net goal from Lloyd.  

After sophomore Taylor Siewierski (Colebrook, N.H./Colebrook Academy) tapped the ball past the USM goalkeeper, Lloyd took the tap back and touched the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 PSU lead in the 14th minute. 

USM nearly had an equalizer when senior Emma Dennison (South Portland, Maine) had a shot from distance hit off the cross bar.  However, PSU added an insurance goal in the 32nd on an ambitious attempt from Hicks.  From the touchline on the right side of the field, Hicks put an effort in from long range lofting the ball high in the air finding the top left of the netting for her second goal of the season. 

The Huskies dominated possession in the second half, rattling off 10 shots to the Panthers' two, but Robbins came up big in spots including a one-on-one save with Berthiaume alone in the box, coming off her line to stop the attempt. The Huskies were able to stop the shut out with just 12 seconds remaining in regulation when sophomore Alex Allain (Carmel, Maine/Hermon) crossed the ball to the far post finding senior Adela Kalilwa (Lewiston, Maine) for her sixth goal of the season. 

USM outshot the Panthers 20-9 in the contest. PSU had a 4-3 lead in corner kicks. 

THE GOALKEEPERS: 

Robbins made six saves in the win for the Panthers.  Southern Maine freshman Kayla Gorman (Windham, Maine) made three saves in the loss. 

UP NEXT: 

            Remaining in Little East Conference play, Southern Maine hosts Eastern Connecticut State on Saturday (1:00 pm) at Hannaford Field. 

–cac–