Auburn, ME – CMCC Women's Soccer opened conference play on Tuesday with a 3-0 loss to NHTI. The Mustangs struggled to generate offense against the Lynx, in a meeting of the two sides that finished with identical records at the top of the YSCC standings last year.

The visitors came out with plenty of early pressure, forcing goalkeeper Devyn Eliasen into two saves in the first five minutes. Leah Davignon broke through for the opening goal in the ninth minute of play. A short corner kick routine worked the ball to Alyviah Blad and her cross found Davignon open in the box. The freshman forward chested it down before prodding it past the keeper for her first career goal.

NHTI continued to take advantage of gaps in the Mustangs' 4-3-3 formation, overloading players in the midfield to keep possession. The Lynx took 12 shots in the opening 45 minutes, putting six on frame.

While their first goal had come from point-blank range, NHTI's second came from outside the area. Two-time USCAA All-American Adrienne Dorr received a pass from Piper Flood in an open patch of space in the 26^th minute. She floated a perfectly placed shot over Eliasen's head that clipped the underside of the crossbar and bounced in. That gave the visitors a 2-0 lead at the break.

Central Maine nearly pulled a goal back less than four minutes after the restart. Mikayla Martorano pounced on a deflected pass from Olivia Varney at the top of the box. Her low, curling effort left the goalkeeper stranded, but struck the post and bounced directly back into Hailey Knight's grateful hands.

That would prove to be the best scoring chance of the game for the Mustangs. Dorr put the game on ice with her second of the night in the 77^th minute. Tyler Harrington dribbled to the top of the 18-yard box before sending a pass forward. Dorr settled and turned on her heel before guiding a shot into the bottom corner for a 3-0 lead. It was the fifth goal in just two games this season for the senior out of Pembroke, NH.

For the Mustangs, it was the team's second straight shutout loss at home to start the year. The squad now goes in search of their first conference win on the road against the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Panthers before hosting in-state rival UMaine-Augusta on Tuesday, September 16^th. Kick-off against the Moose is slated for 4:00 pm in a women's and men's soccer doubleheader on CMCC's Spirit Day.