GORHAM, Maine  – Finishing the 2021 Little East Conference regular season with a record of 4-3-1, the University of Southern Maine Huskies have earned the fifth seed for the upcoming 2021 Little East Conference Women's Soccer Tournament.
 
The Huskies (11-3-3 overall) will travel to fourth-seed Eastern Connecticut State on Tuesday, November 2 (tba).  The Huskies' appearance in the 2021 tourney is their 11^th in program history. USM last qualified for the conference championship tournament in 2018. 
 
Eastern Connecticut (9-9 overall, 4-2-2 LEC) will host the quarterfinal at Rick McCarthy Field.  The top six teams qualify for LEC post season with the top two seeds receiving a first-round bye.  2021 LEC regular season champion Western Connecticut is the top seed for the tournament, followed by UMass Boston.
 
USM and ECSU battled to a 1-1 double overtime draw earlier in the season.  Trailing 1-0 following a ECSU first-half goal, Huskies' freshman Kiki Huntress (Kittery Point, Maine/Traip Academy) scored the first goal of her intercollegiate career off of a corner kick service from senior Ciera Berthiaume (Windham, Maine) in the 53^rd.
 
Both teams recorded 12 shots a piece in the game; however neither the Huskies or Warriors took a shot through both extra frames. The draw snapped the Huskies' 20-season losing skid to Eastern Connecticut.  Prior to the 1-1 2OT draw, USM's last positive result against ECSU was October 24, 2000 – a 2-1 win.  
 
Who: No. 5 Southern Maine at No. 4 Eastern Connecticut
When: Tuesday, November 2, 2021 (TBA)
Where: Eastern Connecticut State University, Mansfield, Conn. Rick McCarthy Field
What: 2021 Little East Conference Women's Soccer Championship Tournament Quarterfinal
 
Southern Maine (11-3-3, 4-3-1 LEC)
Championships: 0
LEC Tournament Record: 4-10-0 (.286), 10 appearances
 
Finals Appearances:  0 Finals Record: 0-0  Last Finals Appearance: NA
 
Players to Watch: Ciera Berthiaume, Sr., F, 12 goals, 3 assists, 27 points, 4 game-winners; Catriona Gould, So, F, 8 goals, four assists, 20 points, 3 game-winners; Emma Forgues, Jr., F, 6 goals, 2 assists, 14 points, 2 game-winners; Kiki Huntress, Fr., DM, 2 goals, 3 assists; 7 points;  Mia Sargent, Fr., B, 5 goals, 1 assist, 11 points.
 
Goalkeeping: Bre Atwood, So., 9-3-2, 1.11 GAA, .800 save percentage, 60 saves.
 
Eastern Connecticut (7-7-2, 4-2-2 LEC)
Championships: 4 (2003, 2005, 2009, 2011)
LEC Tournament Record: 14-14-6 (.500), 20 appearances
 
Finals Appearances:  10 Finals Record: 4-6  Last Finals Appearance: 2017
 
Players to Watch: Briley Harnois, 6 goals, 1 assists, 13 points, 2 game-winners; Haley Montesanto, 5 goals, 10 points; Alexie Root, 3 goals, 3 assists, 9 points.
 
Goalkeeping: Alexis Tyrrell, 4-7-2, 1.79 GAA, .747 save percentage, 62 saves; Emily Wallace, 3-0-0, 0.62 GAA, .889 save percentage, 16 saves.
 
 

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