PORTLAND, ME - University of Southern Maine (5-13-0) edged out Saint Joseph's (7-9-1, 5-6-1 GNAC), 2-1, in a non-league women's soccer contest at Deering Memorial Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Jessica Capozzi '14 (Saugus, MA) scored the Monks' lone goal in the loss with 1:56 remaining in regulation. Mikayla Call '11 (Portland, ME/McAuley) earned an assist on the goal, which was Capozzi's fourth of the season - the most by a freshman during the 2010 campaign.

Huskies senior Chelsea Norton (Westbrook, Maine) scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 79th minute. The win snapped a six-match losing streak for the Huskies.           

Leading 1-0, the Huskies tallied the game-winning goal at 78:08 as senior Heidi DeHaan (Lewiston, Maine/St. Dominic) passed the ball to junior Bridget FitzGerald (Concord, N.H./Tilton) at the top left corner of the penalty area. FitzGerald took one touch, and then played a perfect pass across the box to Norton who slotted home an eight-yard shot for her second goal of the season.

The Monks pressed the offense over the final 10 minutes, getting within one as Capozzi converted a Call feed into a marker with 1:56 left in regulation time. The Monks had a good scoring opportunity earlier in the half, but a shot by Call bounced off the crossbar and was cleared away by the USM defense.

Southern Maine had the only goal, coming off a set piece, of the opening 45 minutes.  Senior Samantha Peters (Westbrook, Maine) delivered a well-placed free kick just to the left of the Monks goal where junior Tara Moore (Portland, Maine/Deering) headed it into the net for her third goal.

The Huskies employed two goalkeepers in the match.  Junior Kat Rothe (Leeds, Maine/Leavitt Area) and sophomore Katie Cobb (Lewiston, Maine) each played a half.  Rothe was credited with two saves in the first half while Cobb did not record a save in the second. 

SJC keeper Jaci Lorenzen '14 (Windham, ME) made three saves in the loss, which signals the end of the 2010 season for the Monks. St. Joe's narrowly missed the Great Northeast Athletic Conference playoffs, the first time the Monks have missed the eight-team tourney as a fourth-year member of the league.

The in-state rival game was the last collegiate match for the Monks' four seniors: Call, Elizabeth Theberge (Danvers, MA), Crystal LaClair (Claremont, NH) and Jessica Needham (East Bridgewater, MA) – who missed all but six contests this season due to injury. The senior group helped the Monks post a 48-22-7 (.686) record, including a stellar 35-10-6 (.778) mark in conference play, during their time on the pitch.

THANKS IN PART TO USM SPORTS INFORMATION