MMA freshman Drew Hamilton soars past the defense for two points in the Mariners’ 77-70 loss to UNE at home on November 9. BY ERIK ATWELL
The MMA women’s soccer team’s playoff run came to an end on November 8 when the Mariners lost the North Atlantic Conference Championship game 3-1 to the Lesley University Lynx in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
MMA sophomore Hadley Stoddard opened the scoring in the sixth minute off a pass from junior Abby Wong. The Mariners held their 1-0 lead until the 36th minute, when the Lynx finally found the back of the net to tie the game.
Lesley found another gear in the second half, scoring goals in the 52nd and 60th minutes to take a 3-1 lead, which they maintained over the final 30 minutes to win the NAC title.
Stoddard’s goal was her 21st of the season, which tied the school record for the most goals scored in a season.
MMA finishes their season with a 12-7-1 record, a significant improvement over their 7-5-5 mark in 2024.
Volleyball
The Mariners’ volleyball team defeated the SUNY-Cobleskill Fighting Tigers in straight sets on November 9 in Castine, leaving them just one win away from qualifying for the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament for the second consecutive year.
MMA overwhelmed Cobleskill from the very start, using a punishing offensive attack to roll through the match by scores of 25-9, 25-11 and 25-8.
Sydney Williams and Hunnie Zuber-Stephens put up spectacular numbers for the Mariners, with Williams totaling 20 kills, and Zuber-Stephens tallying 35 assists in the victory.
The Mariners will next host the North Atlantic Conference Championship game against the SUNY-Delhi Broncos at 1:00pm on November 15.
MMA sophomore Marcus Schade elevates to slam home two of his team-high 19 points. BY ERIK ATWELL
Men’s Basketball
The MMA men’s basketball team hit the court at Smith Gymnasium for their season opener on November 8 against the University of New England Nor’easters. The Mariners finished last season with a 13-11 record, and started their new season with a young lineup that featured three freshmen, one sophomore and one junior.
Shooting a tidy 53 percent from the floor in the first half, the Mariners built an eight-point lead, only to see the Nor’easters rally to level the score 41-41 at halftime.
UNE got out of the gate quickly in the second half, using a 9-2 run to grab a 50-43 lead. But the Mariners immediately responded with their own 9-2 run, and suddenly the teams were tied again.
The teams went back and forth for the next ten minutes, but then with just three minutes to play, the UNE defense locked down the Mariners and made just enough free throws down the stretch to come away with a 77-70 victory.
The Mariners were led by junior Jack Banks and sophomore Marcus Schade, who each scored 19 points. Freshman Aaron Pensel also scored in double figures, finishing with 11.
Banks and Pensel each hauled down nine rebounds to lead the Mariners in that category.
The Mariners’ next home games will also be their North Atlantic Conference openers, when they welcome SUNYDelhi to Castine at 5:30p.m. on November 21, followed by a 1p.m. contest on November 22 against SUNY-Cobleskill.
Football
The MMA football team dropped to 0-9 in their return to varsity action, losing their final home game of the season 70-7 to the Western New England University Golden Bears on November 8.
While the Mariners were overmatched by the deeper and more experienced WNE squad, there were still several bright spots in the loss.
Sophomore running back Auston Harris continued his terrific season, finishing with 151 yards on just 17 carries. His afternoon was highlighted by a 75-yard touchdown burst in the second quarter—his sixth rushing touchdown of the season.
On defense, sophomore defensive back Lucas Houghton finished with nineteen tackles, which tied a school record.
The Mariners conclude their season on November 15 when they travel to Bangor to challenge the Husson University Eagles. Kickoff is scheduled for 1p.m.
