Foxcroft rolls past Hermon to remain undefeated
DOVER-FOXCROFT — After being held scoreless in the opening half, Foxcroft Academy scored four times in the second to defeat Hermon High School 4-0 in an interclass field hockey game on Wednesday, Sept. 25. The contest was pushed back 24 hours due to rainy weather.
The Ponies, who are playing in Class C North in 2019 after dipping below the Class B enrollment threshold, improved to 5-0 on the season with the team’s fifth shutout in as many games — a run featuring a 23-0 goals advantage.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
FOUR GOALS TO MOVE TO 5-0 — Foxcroft Academy junior Ava Rayfield (6) outruns Hermon junior Kalley Curry to the ball as Pony senior Jenna Anderson trails during a Sept. 25 game in Dover-Foxcroft. Foxcroft scored all four goals in the second half to improve to 5-0 with the 4-0 victory.
Class B North Hermon (the Hawks fell to 1-5-1, have remained winless since taking the team’s season opener and have now been held scoreless three times) kept Foxcroft off the scoreboard in the first half despite the Ponies having a 9-0 penalty corner edge in the opening 30 minutes. Hermon senior keeper Brooke Dempsey made several of her game-high five saves over this stretch to keep play scoreless.
Dempsey and fellow Class of 2020 member Emily Morgan switched goaltending duties to start the second half. Less than two minutes after halftime, Foxcroft junior Sheryl Chase fired off a long shot from the left toward the Morgan.
Pony junior Ava Rayfield was in the right position to the right of the goal to redirect Chase’s shot in and score what would turn out to be the game-winner at the 28:13-mark.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
BUSY DAY — Foxcroft senior Cassidy Marsh scored a pair of unassisted goals and assisted on another in her team’s 4-0 victory vs. Hermon.
Less than three minutes later Foxcroft senior Cassidy Marsh weaved her way through the middle of the Hermon end, all the way to the goal where she flicked the ball in for the 2-0 lead with 25:31 to go.
Later in the half Marsh again ran through the Hermon defense, stopped by the goal just long enough to settle and put the ball in. With the Ponies ahead 3-0 behind Marsh’s second goal of the afternoon, Hermon made another switch in goal with Dempsey returning.
Marsh would assist on her team’s fourth goal. With just over four and a half minutes to go she passed to junior Maranda Poulin, who sent the ball into the air but just high enough to escape Dempsey’s reach and land under the crossbar.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
STICKING WITH IT — Pony junior Maranda Poulin advances the ball past Hermon sophomore Ainsley Carr as Foxcroft freshman Anna Raynes chases the play.
While having a slower day than her counterparts at the other end of the field, Foxcroft senior Abbie Moore stopped both shots that came her way. The Pony defense allowed just three penalty corners, all coming late in the second half.
The two teams are scheduled to play in Hermon at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
FIELD HOCKEY
Foxcroft 4,
Hermon 0
HER 0 0 | 0
FOX 0 4 | 4
Second: F — Rayfield
(Chase)
F — Marsh
F — Marsh
F — Poulin
(Marsh)
Penalty corners: F — 13,
H – 3
Saves: F — Moore 2,
H — Dempsey 5,
Morgan 3
Records: F — 5-0,
H 1-5-1
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
CHASING THE BALL — Junior Sheryl Chase and Hermon sophomore Ainsley Carr fight for possession with Hawk junior Kesley Bridges looking on during the Sept. 25 contest. Chase assisted on a goal by classmate Ava Rayfield.