With two teams competing for titles, Husky fans were all aboard the championship train over the weekend.
Both games were decided on Saturday, November 5, at Hannaford Field on the 杏吧传媒鈥檚 campus in Gorham. The double-feature started with field hockey. Top-ranked USM (15-8) took on third-seeded Castleton (14-7) with the Little East Conference Championship at stake.
The crowd stretched across the entire length of the field. The two sets of bleachers were mostly filled with students. Visitors to campus knew to bring their own seating and formed a chain of folding chairs as near to the action as the officials would allow. Parents were easy to spot since so many of them wore USM t-shirts with their daughters鈥 names on the back.
Rob Edwards described himself as a 鈥減roud dad and proud alumni.鈥 He graduated from the university in 1991 and returned to campus to cheer on his daughter, sophomore Julia Edwards. Depending on what the team needs, she plays midfielder or defender. In the classroom, she studies Health Sciences.
鈥淎s a student-athlete, somebody who is also in the Honors Program, her whole life is school and sports,鈥 Edwards said.
Jordan Cummings, a junior midfielder/defender, was another player with her own cheering section. Anna Prosser showed her support with a sign that read 鈥#22 is my best friend.鈥 The two know each other from work, where Prosser is Cummings鈥 supervisor.
鈥淪he talks about field hockey all the time,鈥 Prosser said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 basically her whole life. We hear all of it: the good, the bad, everything.鈥
It wasn鈥檛 all good for the Huskies in the early going. They trailed 1-0 after the first period.
Rooting for a USM comeback was a change for Lydia Wasina. She spent years trying to beat the Huskies as a player for the University of Maine at Farmington before graduating last spring. Her former teammate, sophomore midfielder Ginny Twitchell, transferred to USM this year, prompting Wasina to become a Husky fan. Wasina鈥檚 playing history allowed her to view the team with an expert鈥檚 understanding.
鈥淭heir stick skills and whole team sense is just awesome,鈥 Wasina said. 鈥淚t feels as though they can read each other and know what they鈥檙e going to do.鈥
Support for the field hockey team was also especially strong among fellow athletes on campus. Softball Head Coach Sarah Jamo brought her daughter to watch the game.
鈥淲e all know the hard work it takes to get here and the hours and everything else that they do in the classroom, on the field, so being here, supporting each other is huge,鈥 Jamo said.
Some of the loudest cheers came from student-athletes in other programs. Members of the basketball, track, and lacrosse teams were especially well-represented in the crowd.
One of those lacrosse players was Hunter Vail. He鈥檚 new to the university as a sophomore after transferring from Thomas College. He鈥檒l wear a Husky uniform for the first time when lacrosse season kicks off next spring. Before he can make his mark as a player, he intends to make his mark as a fan.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the best part of our game to have fans out here and to support us,鈥 Vail said. 鈥淚t does the same for every sport. Everyone loves support.鈥
The support never wavered as the game ended in a 2-1 loss for the Huskies. As soon as they left the field, players were smothered in hugs by family and friends. Consolation quickly turned to congratulation on a and a season that will be remembered as one of the best in the history of USM鈥檚 field hockey program.
President Jackie Edmondson and her husband, Mike, watched the game from a small hill overlooking the eastern goal line. Mike spoke for many fans by pointing out that the score didn鈥檛 reflect how well the Huskies controlled possession for most of the game.
After a short break to eat, the Edmondsons reclaimed their seats for the second game. The field was reset during the interim for women鈥檚 soccer. USM (17-3-0) was the top-seeded favorite in the Little East Conference Championship against number-two Western Connecticut State (13-7-1). In a match where home field advantage can make all the difference, President Edmondson was happy with the energy from the crowd.
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to see the turnout for these games,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 walked in earlier from the John Mitchell building and there are people up on the hill that you can鈥檛 even see from here. There are people everywhere and it鈥檚 just incredible.鈥
Getting those seats filled is a goal for Antoine Grace. He鈥檚 a graduate student in the Leadership Studies program. During his undergraduate years, he was a mainstay on the wrestling team.
Grace鈥檚 interest in athletics extended beyond the mat to his work with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). He helped create an offshoot organization called The Pack. Its members are all athletes who support each other by attending games outside their own programs and building excitement on social media. They were out in force at the soccer game.
鈥淭o get support, you got to give support,鈥 Grace said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one thing the USM community is really great at is we all show up for each other.鈥
Nina Philbrick is part of that support system. She shares a dorm with Kiki Huntress, a linchpin of the soccer team鈥檚 defense. As a sophomore Nursing major, Philbrick is used to taking care of people. She tapped those skills to make sure Huntress was in top playing shape.
鈥淲e have a system worked out. We make time to hang out with each other,鈥 Philbrick said. 鈥淚鈥檓 always there to support her. I鈥檒l make sure there鈥檚 dinner ready and she鈥檚 staying hydrated for the games.鈥
Philbrick might have had more to say, but she was cut off as a cheer went up when Catriona Gould scored to give USM a 1-0 lead. A WestConn goal in the second half sent the game to overtime. Gaby Panagakos scored the go-ahead goal off an assist from Riley Reitchel. It was the storybook ending that Reitchel鈥檚 father had wished for at the start of the game.
鈥淚 hope it leads to an overall positive feeling on the season and adds to her college experience,鈥 Richard Reitchel said. 鈥淥verall, I just want her to continue having fun playing the game.鈥
Julia McKenna kicked an insurance goal to put the game out of reach with a . The team had only a moment to celebrate among themselves once the buzzer sounded. Within seconds, fans charged onto the field to join the happy chaos of hugs, high-fives, and selfies.
The championship isn鈥檛 the end for the players or their fans. The Huskies now have their eyes set on the women鈥檚 soccer NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. They鈥檒l play the first-round game on a neutral field at MIT in Cambridge, Mass., against Williams College on Saturday, November 12.