Maine Black Bears Tie Providence College 1-1 in Thrilling Match
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Under the lights at Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium, Maine walked away with more than a draw. It left with a statement.
The Black Bears punched first, held on as long as they could, and ultimately shared the points in a 1-1 tie with unbeaten Providence College on Thursday night.
Meadows strikes on the break
For 44 minutes, the game simmered. Then Maine carved it open.
With the final minute of the first half ticking away, Victoria Dungey spun away from pressure at midfield, slipped between two Friars, and threaded a ball straight up the gut. It was all the invitation Isabella Meadows needed.
Meadows burst through the gap, outran the back line, and carried the pass into the box. One touch, then a calm finish tucked inside the right post with 37 seconds left in the half. Maine, on the road against a Big East opponent, jogged into the locker room with a 1-0 lead and a jolt of belief.
It was Meadows’ second goal of the season and Dungey’s second assist of the year, a milestone night for the senior who was making her 60th career appearance.
Providence finally breaks through
Providence had work to do and came out after the break with intent.
The Friars pushed numbers forward, slowly tilting the field. They ended the night with a 6-4 edge in shots on goal and a 2-1 advantage in corner kicks, forcing Maine to defend deeper and longer as the clock wound down.
The pressure finally told in the closing stages.
With less than 10 minutes left, Providence found the net, only to see the flag go up. For a moment, Maine had its escape. Then came the twist: after review, the offside call was overturned and the goal stood, leveling the match at 1-1 and ripping away what had looked like a signature road win.
Still, Maine refused to fold. Anchored by goalkeeper Elena Barenberg, who finished with five saves, the Black Bears saw out the final minutes to secure the draw.
A rare result in a lopsided series
On paper, this matchup has been one-way traffic. Maine is now 2-11-1 all-time against Providence, but this tie carried weight.
It marked the Black Bears’ first result against a Big East program since a draw with St. John’s back in 2007, a 17-year gap finally snapped on Thursday night.
The night also brought a stack of personal milestones. Alongside Dungey’s 60th game, defender Luise Reinwald also reached 60 career appearances. Meghan Bernetti earned her 50th career start, while Bernetti and Olivia Grisdale both went the full 90 minutes, anchoring a back line that bent late but did not break completely.
Maine moves to 2-3-2 on the season; Providence, still unbeaten, sits at 2-0-6.
Next up, the Black Bears head to Holy Cross for a 2 p.m. kickoff on Sunday, Sept. 13. After pushing a Big East side to the brink, how far can this group take that momentum on the road?
