GORHAM, Maine - Closing out the Little East Conference regular-season with a 6-2 win on the road against the Western Connecticut State University Wolves, the University of Southern Maine Huskies' field hockey team secured a spot in the upcoming Little East Conference Championship tournament, and will be the fifth-seed.
Southern Maine (6-13, 2-4 Little East) enter the tournament as the defending 2023 Little East Conference Champions. As the fifth-seed the Huskies will play in a Little East Conference Quarterfinal on Tuesday, November 5 (2:00 pm).
The Huskies will begin their 2024 Little East Conference Tournament Championship run at No. 4 Eastern Connecticut State University in Mansfield, Conn. Southern Maine faced Eastern Connecticut on the road during the regular season, falling 4-1 to the Warriors. Freshman
Leah Thibodeau (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) scored the Huskies' lone goal in the game.
Averaging 2.16 goals per game, the Huskies' have totaled 41 goals this season, including 18 goals in six Little East Conference games. Sophomore
Norie Tibbetts (Skowhegan, Maine) leads the way for the Huskies with 14 goals and four assists, while senior
Sage Drinkwater (Steep Falls, Maine/Bonny Eagle) is on her heels with 10 goals and four assists. Senior
Brooke Carson (Bryant Pont, Maine/Oxford Hills) has seven goals and a team-best five assists this season. Tibbetts has seven goals against LEC opponents, while Drinkwater has four, and Carson has three.
Sophomore
Jenessa Foster (Pittsfield, Maine/Maine Central Institute) leads the Huskies' back line. The 2023 Rookie of the Year, Foster has a conference-best 13 defensive saves, and a pair of assists to her credit. Foster's 13 defensive saves are currently second in NCAA Division III national statistics. Foster is joined by back-to-back 2022 and 2023 Little East Conference Defensive Player of the Year
Jordan Cummings (Auburn, Maine) with five defensive saves, and senior
Izzy Hurlburt (Alfred, Maine/Massabesic) with two defensive saves.
The Huskies have relied on junior
Eleanor Folsom (Winthrop, Maine) in goal for a majority of the 2024 season. She has a .709 save percentage and a 2.97 goals against average/
2024 Little East Conference Tournament Championship Field
- VTSU-Castleton 15-4 (6-0 LEC)
- Keene State 14-6 (5-1 LEC)
- Plymouth State 9-8 (3-3 LEC)
- Eastern Connecticut 7-10 (2-4 LEC)
- Southern Maine 6-13 (2-4 LEC)
- Western Connecticut 7-12 (2-4 LEC)
2024 Little East Conference Championship
Who: No. 5 Southern Maine at No. 4 Eastern Connecticut
When: Tuesday, November 5, 2024 (2:00 PM)
Where: Eastern Connecticut State University; Mansfield, Conn.
What: 2024 Little East Conference Field Hockey Championship Tournament Quarterfinal
Southern Maine (6-13, 2-4 Little East)
Championships: 2 (2003, 2023)
LEC Tournament Record: 22-20 (.523), 21 appearances
Finals Appearances: 6
Finals Record: 2-4
Last Finals Appearance: 2023
Players to Watch: Sage Drinkwater, Sr., F, 10 goals, 4 assists, 24 points, 2 game-winning goals;
Brooke Carson, Sr., F, 7 goals, 5 assists, 19 points, 1 game-winning goal;
Norie Tibbetts, So., F, 14 goals, 4 assists, 32 points,2 game-winning goal;
Jenessa Foster, So., B, 0 goal, 2 assists, 2 points, 13 defensive saves;
Jordan Cummings, Sr., B, 0 goals, 3 assist, 5 defensive saves
Goalkeeping: Eleanor Folsom (5-13), Jr., 2.97 GAA, .709 Save Percentage
No. 4 Eastern Connecticut (7-1, 2-4 LEC)
Championships: 1 (2021)
LEC Tournament Record: 6-11
Finals Appearances: 2
Finals Record: 1-1
Last Finals Appearance: 2021
Players to Watch:. Emma Sanson, Jr., F, 11 G, 1 A, 23 Points; Rebecca Minaya, Fr., F, 7 G, 1 A, 15 points; Grace Barlage, So., F/M, 5 G, 4 A, 14 Points
Goalkeeping: Kiana Webster (5-9), Sr., 2.30 GAA, .706 Save Percentage, 72 Saves
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