Cranston West alumna Paige Ring wrapped up her freshman campaign on the Maine-Farmington women’s soccer team by taking part this past Saturday in the Beavers’ first Division III NCAA tournament match since 2003 versus Middlebury.

Unlike their previous appearance, in which they made the second round, it was one-and-done for UMF, as the host Panthers dominated the afternoon and claimed a 4-1 victory.

For all its dominance, however, Middlebury did not lead wire-to-wire; the Beavers were able to tie the match at a goal apiece in the 51st minute with McKenna Brodeur’s 22nd marker of the season.

Ring made her presence felt by coming off the bench once in each half, playing out the balance of the first 45 minutes after entering in the 31st and then returning to the fray in the 62nd before coming off for good 20 minutes later.

UMF clinched their spot in the tournament the previous weekend by catching fire when it mattered most, capping off a five-match winning streak with a 3-1 triumph over Thomas to capture the program’s second North Atlantic Conference title.

Unlike the previous three seasons, in which they won exactly seven games, the Beavers were able to go one better this fall, finishing the 2018 campaign with an 8-13 mark which was even more incredible considering they lost their first seven matches.

In bringing the curtain down on her first season on campus, Ring played in every match except the NAC championship, while also appearing in the starting eleven against Plymouth State, Castleton and Colby.

The former Falcon also found time to get her name onto the scoresheet, picking up her first goal at the collegiate level on October 20 in a 7-1 rout of Maine-Presque Isle. Cranston East graduate Emma Jutras once again experienced an increase in playing time this fall as a member of the Endicott volleyball team, appearing in 21 of the Gulls’ 29 matches.

The ex-Thunderbolt, who just concluded her junior year, mainly appeared as a substitute but also managed to start matches against Emerson and Nichols, helping Endicott defeat each foe in straight sets.

In her time on court, Jutras had one kill, seven service aces, 80 digs and 25 assists, with the latter placing her third on the Gulls, albeit a long way behind the 1,107 racked up by team leader Zoey Gifford.

Endicott finished the season with an 18-11 record, marking the first time since the 2014 campaign that the Gulls failed to reach the 20-win plateau but claiming the Commonwealth Coast’s regular season championship with a 7-1 mark in league play.

Unfortunately, their domination did not lead to a tournament crown as they were outlasted on November 1 by Roger Williams in the CCC semifinals, falling to the Hawks in five sets after storming back from two sets down to force the first-to-15 decider.