BY MATT DIFILIPPO

Staff Writer

Whatever the University of Maine at Farmington women’s lacrosse team does this season, it will be easier now that Amie Daniels is back in the lineup.

Daniels, a senior midfielder, missed all but three games last spring with a severe ankle sprain. The Lewiston native sat out UMF’s first game this season due to illness, but came back with five goals and an assist as the Beavers defeated Wheelock 22-5 in its second game.

“Amie is a total lacrosse player,” UMF coach Molly Wilkie said. “She understands the offensive and the defensive side really well. I could put her anywhere on the field and she’d be successful, I think.”

The Beavers are playing without junior Aimee St. Germain, who led UMF with 29 goals in 10 games last year. St. Germain, a Gorham graduate, suffered a concussion late last season, and Wilkie said it’s unlikely she’ll play again. St. Germain is serving as a student assistant this season.

“Her presence is really helpful,” Wilkie said. “She’s handling it like a champ, but it’s definitely hard to watch practice and not be able to get in there.”

Wilkie said she is pleased overall, even with the first game, a 23-4 loss to the University of Southern Maine. Several newcomers are stepping in and contributing, like Messalonskee graduate Maddi Kadnar, who leads the team with five goals and three assists.

The Beavers practiced outside for the first time Thursday. Wilkie said they didn’t get on their field last year until mid-April.

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Colby has a big women’s lacrosse game at 9:30 this morning against Tufts. It’s the last of three games the Mules will play at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla.

The Mules were sixth in the latest Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association national poll, which came out Monday. The laxpower.com computer ratings (which mainly take into account goal differential and strength of schedule) have Colby as No. 2 in the country, just behind New England Small College Athletic Conference rival Middlebury. Tufts is 10th in the traditional poll and sixth in the computer ratings.

Colby has allowed only 31 goals in five games, even though two of those five games were against ranked teams. The Mules are incredibly balanced on offense. Lindsey McKenna leads the way with 12 goals, but seven other players have at least five, including Katharine Eddy and Tess Petesch with eight apiece.

Matt DiFilippo — 861-9243

mdifilippo@centralmaine.com

 

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