University of Maine midfielder Lara Kirkby participates in a game from last season. The Black Bears are seeking their second consecutive America East championship this fall. Photo provided by the University of Maine
ORONO — The University of Maine women’s soccer team has six countries represented, as well as six states and four Canadian provinces. When Lara Kirkby, a senior midfielder and one of the Black Bears’ co-captains, was asked to describe her team in one word, she didn’t hesitate.
“Solidarity,” said Kirkby, one of two Australians on the team. “I think we’re a very close, dynamic team, on and off the field. We have a lot of different nationalities, personalities and football backgrounds and I think that makes us an unpredictable team on the field.”
Coming off the 2023 season in which the Black Bears won the America East Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Division I tournament for the first time, the Maine women’s soccer team is a melting pot of talent hoping to win a second consecutive conference title.
Maine opened the season with a 4-0 win over Le Moyne on Thursday afternoon in Syracuse, New York. The Black Bears continue their trip to Central New York with a game at Syracuse on Sunday. Maine’s first home game is scheduled for Aug. 29 against Merrimack. The nonconference schedule also includes a Sept. 1 trip to Rutgers, a Big Ten opponent that also reached the NCAA Tournament last year.
Maine finished 11-2-6 last season and, on paper, is poised for another strong season. The team returns nine of its top 10 scorers, including 2023 America East Forward of the Year Abby Kraemer, who led the conference in goals (13) and points (30) while becoming the first All-American in program history and America East’s first since 2012.
The Black Bears were named the preseason favorite by America East coaches, receiving eight of nine first-place votes in the conference’s preseason poll.
“We have a lot of experience coming back and that helps us a lot, but we also have some really great freshmen who have already contributed a lot to the team environment and on the field, so it’s exciting to see it all come together,” said co-captain Emma Schneider, a defender and graduate student.
Kristina Kelly was one of four UMaine soccer players named to the America East preseason All-Conference team. Photo courtesy of UMaine
Kraemer, Kirkby, defender Myla Schneider (Emma’s sister) and Lincolnville midfielder Kristina Kelly were named to the America East preseason all-conference team, more than any other school.
That’s not just because a talented group of returning players meshes well with the newcomers, Myla Schneider says. It’s also because everyone came to preseason training camp ready to work hard.
“It’s allowed us to speed up our practice a little bit and work on things that would normally have taken us a few weeks. It’s looking good. We’re excited,” she said.
The question mark for the Black Bears is goal. Last season, Kira Kutzinski played every minute in goal but had to graduate. Three players are in the running for goalie positions this season: Jessica Kasacek, a returning substitute from last season, started the season opener at Le Moyne and failed to stop a single shot, keeping a clean sheet. Grace Wilson, who will play for Australia at the upcoming U20 World Championship in Colombia, and Jordan Wolf, a Falmouth native who transferred from Stony Brook this season, are also options in goal.
In addition to players from the United States and Canada, the Black Bears also have representatives from Australia, England, Germany and Norway. The team has players from such diverse cultures and walks of life that they can gain new perspectives on the game and the way it is played in different parts of the world.
“It’s cool to have girls from all over Canada. Learning how soccer works in different provinces and how it works in different countries is also super cool,” said Emma Schneider, who is from Calgary, Alberta. “Even outside of soccer, I can’t wait until after school to go on a world tour and see each other and talk.”
The Black Bears applied the lessons learned from 2022, in which the team went 9-3-5 and reached the conference semifinals, to last season and it helped the team achieve its unprecedented success. Now they know they must build on that experience again to maintain that success.
“Coach (Scott Atherley) used the quote ‘Be where your feet are’ and I think that’s really relevant to us as a team. We don’t want to look too far into the future,” Kirkby said. “Obviously we have big goals to achieve, but we’re taking it day by day and hopefully if we stay present and in the here and now we’ll be able to achieve them.”
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