WATERVILLE, Maine – Hilary Howard scored the game-deciding goal in the 48^th minute as the Thomas College Terriers outlasted the University of Southern Maine Huskies 3-2 in a non-conference field hockey game Wednesday night at Bernatchez Field.
 
The Records:
Southern Maine (4-11)
Thomas College (8-6)
 
Meeting for the ninth time, Thomas leads the series 6-3. Southern Maine and the Terriers were 2-2 in their last four meetings.  Southern Maine earned a 3-1 win in 2023, and a 6-5 win in 2021.  Thomas defeated the Huskies 5-0 in 2022 and 1-0 in 2019.
 
 
The Goalkeepers:
SM, Eleanor Folsom (3-11), 30:00, 2 GA, 2 Saves; Katie Hanlon, 30:00, 1 GA, 3 Saves
TC, Elise Syphers (8-6), 60:00, 2 GA, 4 Saves
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Thomas snagged a 2-0 lead in the first quarter as Kara Richards scored the first goal of the game in the fourth minute.  Three minutes later Julia Reny made it 2-0.
• The Huskies cut their deficit to 2-1 before the halftime break. Freshman Leah Thibodeau (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) scored her third goal of the season in the 30^th minute.
• After a scoreless third quarter, Thomas pushed its lead back to two, 3-1, when Howard finished an assist from Tatiana Roque in the 48^th minute.  Southern Maine bounced back with a goal from senior Brooke Carson (Bryant Pond, Maine/Oxford Hills) in the 53^rd minute, but the Huskies were unable to find an equalizer in the last seven minutes of play for the 3-2 final.

 
Inside The Statistics:

• Thomas led in shots 15-7, and in penalty corners 15-1.
• Thibodeau has scored in three of the last four games for Southern Maine.

 
Up Next:
Southern Maine is home for its next three contests and hosts UMass Dartmouth on Saturday (12:00 pm). Prior to its game against UMD, Southern Maine will honor its senior student-athletes. The Huskies then host Plymouth State on Tuesday, October 22 (7:00 pm) and VTSU-Castleton on Saturday, October 26 (3:00 pm).
 
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