Thomas College freshman forward Kyle Patterson has been one of the key contributors to a team that is 9-1 in its first 10 games of the season.

A month remains, but the regular season can’t get much better for the Thomas men’s soccer team.

After 10 games, the Terriers have a record of 9-1, including a seven-game winning streak, which was lengthened with a 2-0 win Saturday against their rival, the University of Maine at Farmington. Thomas leads the North Atlantic Conference, the only squad that has an undefeated record (3-0) within the NAC.

“I’m pretty happy,” Thomas head coach Chris Parsons said. “We have a lot of new guys on the team this year, we have 12 new players on the team this year.”

The season has already topped last year’s output. After racking up 10 or more wins per season over Parsons’ first six seasons as coach, including NAC championships in 2012, 2013 and 2015, that streak was snapped in 2017, as the Terriers ended the season with an 8-9-1 record.

There’s no area that Thomas hasn’t thrived in over the first 10 games. Statistically, the Terriers have stood out the most on offense, as they have racked up 32 goals — an average of 3.2 per game. It’s also where they show the most promise. Four different scorers have four goals for Thomas, including two freshmen, Justin Bell and Gorham resident Kyle Patterson.

Parsons has been particularly pleased with Patterson, a South Portland graduate, who was recently named one of the Top 20 Division III freshmen in the region in the New England Soccer Journal.

“We’re really excited about Kyle, he’s been doing a great job,” Parsons said. “A couple of these other younger guys coming in, they play well together, they’re very coachable and they want to improve. Most importantly, they’re all team guys.”

Thomas has been just as strong defensively, having allowed just seven goals so far this season. Jonathan Dutka has played the majority of the time at goalkeeper, and has made 22 saves. Ben Vigue, who missed all of last season due to an internship in Washington, has also stepped up in that area.

“I think we’ve been trying really hard to improve our defense and try to find the right combinations,” Parsons said. “We haven’t found the right combinations yet, we’ve kept moving people around trying to find them. It’s been really good, because we have a lot of depth back there. With senior captain Ben Vigue back, he was a really good player, a key player for us in 2015 when we won the conference. Our senior goalkeeper Jon Dutka has really stepped up this year. This was the first year that he’s solidified himself as that No. 1 guy.”

Thomas has seven games remaining in the regular season, and the schedule is particularly difficult. The Terriers have home contests against Husson and SUNY Canton, and hit the road to play Maine Maritime. Those three teams are right on the tails of the Terriers in the NAC standings.

“We knew the potential of this group,” Parsons said. “We are right where we wanted to be at this time. Our expectation is that we win the conference and go to the national tournament again. We have yet to get through that first round of the tournament. Obviously, our first goal is to get there, but we feel really good about that right now. Our second goal, once we get there, is to break through that barrier and win a game.”

Thomas College goalkeeper Jonathan Dutka kicks the ball during a recent game. Dutka has allowed just seven goals and has 22 saves in the Terriers’ first 10 games this season.

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Not to be outdone by their male colleagues, the Thomas women’s soccer team is on pace for one of its best seasons in years.

After nine games, the Terriers are 5-4 — with a 3-0 conference record — setting Thomas right behind first-place Maine Maritime in the NAC standings.

With two more victories, Thomas will have as many victories as it’s had over the past two season. The Terriers were 3-12 in 2016 and 4-12 in 2017.

Freshman forward and Bristol native Katherine Hoving leads the team with an astounding 15 goals, including a five-goal effort in an 8-0 victory September 22 over Northern Vermont-Johnson. Hoving has scored at least one goal in each of the past six games.

Thomas has a break in the schedule until October 6, when the Terriers take on the University of Maine at Presque Isle.

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The Colby field hockey team has kept things pretty even over its first eight games.

The Mules own a 4-4 record, picking up wins over Husson, Thomas, UMaine Farmington and Connecticut College. With a 1-4 conference record, Colby currently sits eighth in the New England Small College Athletic Conference.

Junior forward Georgia Cassidy has been the offensive standout for the Mules, scoring five goals to go along with seven assists. Sophomore Myri Skodock has added six goals.

Colby hits the road to Bangor on Tuesday for its next contest against Husson.

Dave Dyer — 621-5640

ddyer@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @Dave_Dyer