You might say that the upstart Thomas College tennis program’s relationship with Jessica Bowen is love at first sight.

The rest of the North Atlantic Conference probably doesn’t harbor those same warm, fuzzy feelings.

Bowen, a recent graduate of Lewiston High School, has made an immediate impact in NCAA Division III tennis.

She served up a steady diet of bagels in her first matches out of the gate, stomping the No. 1 singles player from Lyndon State, 6-0, 6-0, and breezing to a 6-1, 6-0 triumph over her counterpart from Johnson State.

Thomas topped Johnson for the first team victory in school history.

Bowen also teamed with classmate Dalia Williams for a shutout doubles victory in that match, bolstering her grip on NAC Rookie of the Week honors.

MAINE, MILLER MOVING UP

University of Maine fans probably think ice hockey when the topic of nationally ranked programs comes up.

Field hockey has introduced itself into that conversation this fall.

Eight straight wins since a season-opening loss to Northeastern have launched Maine in the national spotlight.

The Black Bears are ranked No. 14 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Top 20 and No. 11 in the WomensFieldHockey.com poll.

Maine’s 5-0 victory over Brown was the fourth shutout in that stretch. The streak continued with a 4-1 verdict against Michigan State.

There’s a local connection. Megan Miller of Turner (Leavitt) is part of that Maine upswing.

Miller, a junior midfielder, scored a goal in Maine’s 8-0 rout of Siena on Aug. 27.

QUICK START FOR BEAVERS

The University of Maine at Farmington women’s soccer team has celebrated either a win or a tie in five or its first six games.

Three tri-county players played pivotal roles in a 2-0 win Wednesday over Thomas.

Freshman Ava Amador, a product of neighboring Mt. Blue High School, delivered one of two second-half goals to end an early stalemate.

Amador’s second goal of the season was assisted by another Mt. Blue alumna, Abbey Gilbert of Wilton.

Beth Lebel of Lewiston picked up the win in goal. Lebel logged three shutouts in the first six games for UMF (3-1-2). She sports a 0.45 goals against average and a save percentage of .889.

Junior midfielder Rachel Clement of Gray also is a key contributor for the Beavers.

BROWN FINDS RANGE

Lewiston’s Jake Brown landed a spot on the Great Northeast Athletic Conference weekly honor roll for the Saint Joseph’s College golf team.

Brown, a junior, led his team and posted the lowest score of his two-year career at St. Joe’s with a 79 in the UMF Invitational. He set his previous low round with an 81 in the same tournament a year ago.

St. Joe’s also benefited from Brown’s solid play in the ninth-annual John Queenan Memorial Tournament, hosted at Point Sebago in Casco.

Brown carded an 84 for his team’s second-best round in the event, named after a 2003 recruit from New Hampshire who was killed in a car accident just before his freshman year at St. Joe’s.

QUICK HITS

— Joe Murphy of Poland, a junior back, scored the game-winning goal for the St. Joe’s men’s soccer in a 3-0 victory over UMF. Murphy broke a scoreless deadlock in the 37th minute.

— UNE field hockey extended its season-opening winning streak to eight on the shoulders of Michelle Oswald of Jay (Mt. Blue), who had a goal and an assist in a 2-0 victory at Colby.

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