Owls teams bow out of playoffs

    The second-seeded University of Maine at Fort Kent women’s soccer team outlasted the University of Maine at Presque Isle in a penalty-kick shootout in the semifinals of the Sunrise Conference championship Saturday afternoon in Scarborough.    The Bengals (16-3) knocked in four penalty kicks in the shootout while the Owls (11-6-2) had one shot hit the cross bar and another blocked by Bengals’ goalie Kayla Daigle.
    Presque Isle held a slim 2-1 lead late in regulation before Fort Kent tied the contest to send it in to overtime. The game-tying goal came with 5:12 left in regulation. The Bengals sent in a high corner kick from the left side and Brianne McGary was able to pounce on a loose ball and knock it into the net to the tie the game.
    UM-Fort Kent had opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Emily Burnett scored from Sarah Nadeau.
    Presque Isle tied the game with four minutes left in the first half off a goal by freshman Desiree Smith of Rockland. The Owls took the early 2-1 lead in the second half when freshman Carmen Allen of Presque Isle perfectly placed a high direct kick over Daigle’s head from about 30 yards out.
    Daigle finished with five saves for the Bengals while Carolynn Tuck of Brewer, who played a brilliant game, had 11 saves for the Owls.
    The UMPI men’s soccer team concluded an outstanding season by falling to SUNY-Canton 4-0 in the Sunrise Conference playoffs held at Scarborough High School. 
    The win by SUNY avenged a 2-1 overtime loss to the Owls on Oct. 19.  UM-Presque Isle finished the season at 12-6-1, the most wins by an Owl squad since the 1996 season. The Owls also set a school record with 10 shutouts on the year breaking the previous record of seven held by the 2006 team.
    Head coach Alan Gordon recorded his 150th career win during the season and is excited about the return of 10 starters for the 2009 season. The Owls only lose two seniors to graduation (Tony Hibbard and Brandon LeVasseur) and should once again challenge for a conference championship in 2009. 
    SUNY-Canton captured an early 1-0 advantage with an unassisted goal in the 24th minute. The Roos then  scored three more goals in the second half.