UMPI Owls sports wrap-up

    CASTINE – The University of Maine at Presque Isle women’s volleyball team lost two tough matches to the Mariners of Maine Maritime Academy on Saturday afternoon in non-conference action. With the losses, UMPI fell to 12-4 on the year.
    The match scores were 25-23, 25-12, 25-17. Losing the first set was a heartbreaker for the Owls, who were never quite able to recover from the loss. Johanna Bubar (Riverview, New Brunswick) led the Owl offense with seven kills, while Megan Korhonen (Littleton) added 14 assists and four service aces. Michelle Ferry (Princeton) led the defense with 18 digs and she also had four kills in the match. Erica Davis (North Yarmouth) contributed five kills in the loss. 
    In the second match of the day, MMA prevailed 25-22, 25-23, 25-16. Ferry and Korhonen led their team, each earning six kills in the match, respectively, while Korhonen had 18 digs and Ferry finished with 14.  Megan also picked up 16 assists and four service aces in the match.
    “We really struggled receiving and in volleyball, everything starts with a good pass,” commented head coach Terry Cummings. “MMA is a very good team, they can beat you in a number of different ways.  This was good for us to play such a quality team as we  prepare for the homestretch of our season and the Sunrise Conference Championships.”
    The Owls return to action on Saturday, Oct. 24, where they will head to UM-Fort Kent for Sunrise Conference play against host UMFK, Paul Smith’s College and UM-Machias.

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Matt Carrington, a junior center back for the University of Maine at Presque Isle men’s soccer team, was named the male recipient of the NCAA Association of Division III Independents Student-Athlete of the Month award for September 2009.
    Carrington, a physical education major from Nottingham, U.K., had five assists from his center back position and led UMPI to four shutouts in their first seven games. Carrington also recently earned the game-winning goal in an Owl victory over the Mariners of Maine Maritime Academy, helping to give UMPI its seventh win of the season. His leadership on and off the field has been a major reason for UM-Presque Isle’s early season success.
    “Matt has really stepped up into his own this season, and is playing the best soccer of his three-year career here at UMPI,” commented Head Coach Alan Gordon. “His leadership and communication skills have helped us to have a successful season thus far, with high hopes to finish strong as we head toward the Sunrise Conference playoffs.”
    Carrington was chosen among all competing fall sport student-athletes (including volleyball and cross country running) who were eligible for this award from the Association of Division III Independent institutions.
    The association consists of 14 Division III independent institutions from throughout the United States including UC-Santa Cruz, Chapman University, University of Dallas, Menlo College, Lancaster Bible College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, and La Sierra University to name a few.  These universities have joined together to recognize student-athletes at these universities, and to provide exempted postseason championship competition.
    The association recognizes outstanding athletic achievements of its student-athletes on a weekly, monthly, and annual basis. It provides statistical services for its members in seven sports. In addition, it also will announce All-Independent teams at the conclusion on nine sports this year.

    CASTINE – University of Maine at Presque Isle junior Matt Carrington (Nottingham, U.K.), scored on a direct kick to break a 2-2 tie and lead his UMPI team to a 4-2 men’s soccer win over Maine Maritime Academy last Wednesday evening at Ritchie Field. Three different Owl players scored en route to the victory.
    The Owls started the scoring in the sixth minute of  the game when Joshua Peaslee (Woolwich) converted on a cross from Seth Dorr (Hodgdon), blasting the assist past the goalie for the 1-0 lead. The Mariners answered to tie the score at 1-1 on Greg Smith’s fourth goal of the year. Less than a minute later, UMPI jumped on top 2-1 when Corey Fournier (Bradley) scored from Trevor Hews (Van Buren) off of a corner kick. MMA once again responded, knotting the match at 2-2 when Jacub Racinski collected an initial keeper save and tucked it into he back of the net for the equalizer.
    The score remained tied at 2-2 until Carrington scored on a direct kick from the top of the box, which proved to be the game winner.  The Owls got their fourth tally on an own goal by MMA to earn the final 4-2 win.
    UMPI keeper Richard Felbaum (Saco) recorded the win for the Owls making four saves on 16 shots. MMA keeper Jeff Butland took the loss for MMA making four saves on 15 shots. 
    The Owls shut out Sunrise Conference member Fisher College at home Sunday, 3-0, in a match played at the Gehrig Johnson Athletic Complex in Presque Isle. With the win, the Owls improve to 8-2-1 on the season and 4-2 in conference play.
    The game remained scoreless throughout the first half of regulation until Fournier scored unassisted at the 51:38 to give his team the go ahead game winning goal. Fournier found the back of the net off of a Fisher goalie deflection to put his team up 1-0. Devon Peaslee (Woolwich) earned his ninth goal of the season from a break away on the left side of field; the assist was given to Craig Maffei (Readfield) on a beautiful setup to Peaslee, who beat two Fisher defenders placing the ball in the low right corner of the goal.
    Junior Chad Parker (Truro, Nova Scotia) got into the scoring action in the 67th minute of play with an unassisted goal from within the box. The insurance goal gave the Owls the final 3-0 victory.
    Felbaum earned six saves on as many shots for the Owls to gain the shutout in goal.
    UMPI returns to action this afternoon as they head to Sunrise Conference rival UM-Fort Kent for the annual potato barrel game. The match is set to begin at 3 p.m.

    CASTINE – The University of Maine at Presque Isle were defeated, 3-0, in a non-conference game against Maine Maritime Academy last Wednesday afternoon at Ritchie Field. With the loss, the Owls drop to 5-4 on the season, while MMA improves to 6-5.
    Avenging an early-season loss, MMA striker Alexis Bennett scored two goals propelling the Lady Mariners to the win. Bennett gave her team the 1-0 lead, scoring off an Emily Brogden pass in the 31st minute of play. MMA increased its lead to 2-0 midway through the second half of play when Katie Hutchinson gathered an UMPI deflection and fired it past Owl keeper Taylor Ussery (Montclair, Calif.) into the top right corner. Bennett then finished off the match with her second goal of the day when she broke away from the UMPI defense and scored an unassisted goal.
    Ussery earned four saves on nine shots, while MMA keeper Lacey Jackson picked up the win and the shutout by making three saves on eight shots.