THE BASICS:
 
RESULT: Hartford 2, Maine 0
RECORDS: Hartford (9-4, 3-1 AE); Maine (6-5, 2-2 AE)
LOCATION: Mahaney Diamond (Orono, Maine)

THE LEAD:
 
First-half goals from midfielder Sierra Stone and striker Kaila Lozada – both freshmen – were all the University of Hartford women's soccer team needed to knock off the Maine Black Bears on their home turf in Orono on Thursday. Senior goalkeeper Jessica Jurg collected three saves in the match to earn her fifth clean sheet of the year as the Hawks improved to 3-1 in the America East with the victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Hartford possessed the ball well early in the match, and took the lead in the 27th minute behind a long-distance goal from Stone. From right outside of the 18-yard box, the midfielder settled a pass and hooked her third tally of the season into the upper right part of the net to give the Hawks the advantage.
• After receiving a cross from freshman Bridgette Alexander, Lozada beat her defender one-on-one, turned, and blasted a left-footed shot straight down the middle from 19 yards out. Maine keeper Samantha Cobotic misjudged the angle and couldn't recover as Hartford doubled its lead to 2-0 in the 32nd minute.
• Shots were fairly even in the second half with Hartford holding a 5-4 edge. Despite the Black Bears taking four corner kicks during that stretch, Hartford's defense limited Maine's scoring attempts to hold on for the shutout.

  
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• The Hawks, who held a 7-3 shot advantage in the decisive first half, went on to outshoot the Black Bears by a 12-7 margin.
• A plethora of Hartford's shots were quality attempts as eight were put on goal, forcing Maine goalkeeper Cobotic to make a game-best six saves.
• Jurg, who made two saves before the halftime break, rejected one Maine shot in the second to preserve the shutout.
• Maine held a 9-3 advantage in corner kicks in the match, but the Black Bears were unable to convert on any of those set pieces.

NEWS & NOTES:

• Hartford improves to 19-7-6 all-time against the Black Bears and has lost just once since 2011 with a 4-1-2 mark.
• Lozada is now tied with sophomore Julia Carr for the team-lead in goals (5).
• The win was the 38th for Jurg, and the 28th time she shut out an opponent. She ranks third all-time in wins and is second in program history in clean sheets.
• Jurg boosted her career save total to 204, needing three more to move into sixth place in the record books.

 
UP NEXT:
A home tilt with defending league champion UAlbany – also the preseason pick to repeat as America East titlists – is next for the Hawks on Sunday, Oct. 9. The rematch of last season's America East Championship title match is set for a 2 p.m. kickoff from Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Field.