GORHAM, Maine   -  Junior Britney Hill (Pembroke, N.H./Pembroke Academy) hit a laser of a shot from 25-yards out for her first career goal in the 66^th minute to break open a scoreless draw and help propel the number one seed University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 2-0 win over the fifth-seed Vermont State University Castleton Spartans in a semifinal game of the 2024 Little East Conference Women's Soccer Championship Thursday night at Hannaford Field.
 
With the win, the 2024 Regular Season Champion Huskies advance and host the championship game on Saturday, November 9 (3:00 pm).  USM is the defending 2022 and 2023 LEC regular season and tournament champions.  The Huskies will host third-seed WestConn Wolves for the third consecutive season.
  
The Records:
VTSU-Castleton (9-11-1, 3-4 LEC)
Southern Maine (14-2-3, 7-0-1 LEC)
 
Today's game marked the eight meeting between the University of Southern Maine Huskies and VTSU-Castleton Spartans. The Huskies have won the last four consecutively and lead the overall series 5-2. Southern Maine earned a 3-0 win over the Spartans during its 2024 regular-season finale. The Huskies last faced the Spartans in the LEC tournament semifinals in 2022, winning 2-0.
 
How It Happened:

• Despite controlling possession and outshooting the Spartans 11-2 in the opening half, Southern Maine found itself locked in a scoreless draw with Castleton.  Spartan goalkeeper Emma Ezzo, who made 15 saves against the Huskies in a 3-0 loss on November 2, remained in good form, making five first half saves.
• In the second half, the Huskies continued to have their way with possession, and pressed for a go-ahead goal. USM put four shots towards the Spartans in the opening 10 minutes. However, Ezzo was able to keep the game scoreless adding two more saves to her tally.
• The Huskies earned a corner kick in the 65^th minute, and senior Emily Johnson (Scarborough, Maine) took the hit from the right side.  The Spartans were able to clear the ball away to the left, only to have senior Ashley Sabatino (Scarborough, Maine) and freshman Makyla Magid (Golden, Colo./Lakewood) work together to keep the ball in the left corner.  After beating a defender with a cutback, Magid played the ball out towards the top of the box, and Hill ran on lacing a shot to the top left corner past a diving Ezzo for the 1-0 lead.
• USM continued to press the Spartans looking for a second goal, and completed its task in the 77^th minute.  Earning another corner, senior Catriona Gould (Freeport, Maine) lofted the service into the back right corner onto the head of junior Cierra Hill (Pembroke, NH/Pembroke Academy) for a 2-0 margin.  The goal is C. Hill's third of the season.
• With a two-goal advantage the Huskies defense snuffed out any offensive chances for the Spartans in the second half.  Led by senior Mia Sargent (Portland, Maine/Deering) the Huskies did not allow the Spartans to put a shot towards goal in the second half.

 
The Goalkeepers:
VTSU-Castleton, Emma Ezzo (9-11-1), 90:00, 2 GA, 9 Saves
SM, Hunter Stonebraker (8-1-3), 90:00, 0 GA, 2 Saves
 
Inside The Stats:

• Southern Maine outshot the Spartans 22-2 (11-2 on target), and had a 5-1 lead in corner kicks. 
• Gould's assist on C. Hill's goal in the 77^th minute give her 11 on the season, tying the single-season record now shared with junior Riley Reitchel (Palermo, Maine/Erskine Academy), which was set during the 2023 season.
• Stonebraker's shutout is her fifth of the season.  Making 42 saves this season, Stonebraker has a 0.50 goals against average.
• Magid's assist on B. Hill's goal is her seventh of the season.  She is tied for second in assists in 2024 for the Huskies, matching classmate Meghan Przybilla (St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony Village) who also has seven.
• USM has outscored its opponents 70-17 this season. Sixteen different players have scored for the Huskies.

 
Up Next:
The 2024 Little East Conference regular season champions, the Huskies are the no. 1 seed and with today's win will host the Little East Conference Tournament Championship game on Saturday, November 9 (2:00 pm) at Hannaford Field.  The Huskies will host third-seed Western Connecticut State University Wolves.  WestConn defeated second-seed UMass Boston on the road, 2-1, in the other semifinal game played tonight.
           
-cac-