A goal in each half helps Winslow top Tigers in Class C East championship

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    HAMPDEN — For most the of the first 30 minutes of the 2014 Class C East championship on Oct. 30 on the turf at Hampden Academy, Winslow High School performed like the top-seeded team as the Black Raiders controlled play against No. 2 Dexter Regional High School. While Winslow enjoyed a 6-0 advantage in penalty corners, the score was still 0-0 with halftime right around the corner.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    TURF TOE — Dexter sophomore Grace Belanger gets away from Winslow junior Ciera Poulin, with Dexter junior Kolby Kain in the background, during the Class C East championship on Oct. 30 at Hampden Academy. No. 1 Winslow scored in each half to defeat second seed Dexter, 2-0. The regional final berth was the Tigers’ seventh in eight seasons.

    Penalty corner No. 7 for Winslow would be one too many as the Black Raiders scored the first goal of the game in the last minute of the first half. The team would then score off another penalty corner in the opening minutes of half No. 2 for an insurance goal in the 2-0 victory.
    With about 58 seconds on the clock in the first half, Winslow senior Brooke Haskell put the ball in play  on the seventh penalty corner with the Dexter goal to her right. Haskell passed to senior Sarah Wildes, who immediately gave the ball back to Haskell.
    With a quick flick Haskell dished off to junior Ciera Poulin who cut in from the left. Poulin’s shot found its mark on the right side of the Tiger goal for the 1-0 advantage at the 52-second mark.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    NOT THE PLAQUE THEY WANTED — Dexter’s four senior captains show the team’s Eastern Maine Class C runner-up award to their fans following the Oct. 30 game. From left are Justice Mower, Morgann Gray, Peyton Watson and Marissa Mitchell.

    “They’re definitely a very, very good team,” Dexter Head Coach Margaret Veazie said. “They cut to the ball hard and they kept coming hard.”
    She said the goal right before the intermission was a blow to the team, but the players responded when they returned to action. “I said ‘don’t give up’ and they didn’t, especially Peyton (Watson). That’s a senior who tries to step up and carry her team on her shoulders.”
    Over four and a half minutes into the second half Winslow was awarded another penalty corner, the team’s eighth at that point while Dexter still had not had such an offensive opportunity. With the goal to her left, Haskell put the ball in as soon players from both teams were able to get a stick on it but neither squad was able to make a decisive play.
    After several seconds of action Wildes passed the ball to freshman Natalie Greene who was positioned to the left of the goal. Greene got off a shot that went into the right of the Tiger goal to give Winslow an insurance goal with 25:19 to go in the second half.
    Dexter would have some scoring opportunities in the second half, but the team was not able to get the ball past the Winslow defense as Black Raider junior Delaney made four saves. Winslow (16-0-1) posted its ninth shutout of the season, and second in three postseason contests.
    Junior Kaitlyn Paquin made a game-high nine saves for Dexter, which was outshot by an 18-7 margin.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    DEFENDING THEIR TURF — Positioned in front of the team’s goal with junior keeper Katilyn Paquin is a line of defense made up of, from left, junior Christie Nicholas, senior Morgann Gray and junior Cassidy Brown.

    At one point Watson was able to run through several would-be defenders to head up the middle for a one-on-one play against Wood. Wood came out of the goal to defend and she knocked the ball away from Watson’s possession after nearly 10 minutes had elapsed in the second half.
    Just over four minutes later Watson, playing hard as her coach would later praise her for, rushed up the middle of the field. She passed to junior Kolby Kain in the left corner but Winslow was able to get a hold of the ball and clear it away.
    Dexter’s penalty corner, the team’s first after 12 for Winslow, came with 4:38 remaining. As Kain set up to the right of the goal, Veazie called a timeout to go over the play. The Tigers ended up being smothered by the defense of the Black Raiders, as Winslow cleared the ball 13 seconds after Kain’s hit.
     The loss ended the Tigers’ season at 15-2. After a year’s absence Dexter was in the Class C East final for the seventh time in the last eight years. The 2014 regional championship was the last game for team’s four seniors and captains, Morgann Gray, Marissa Mitchell, Justice Mower and Watson.
    Winslow — who fell 1-0 to Foxcroft Academy a year prior in the C East championship — claimed the school’s first Eastern Maine title since taking home Class B East honors in 2003, which was the program’s sixth in seven years with five Class B state championships — part of the run at the end of the 20th century and into the 21st century.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    STICK IT TO HER — Battling for a loose ball during the Oct. 30 Class C East regional final is Dexter sophomore Morgann Wyman and junior Ciera Poulin of Winslow. Poulin had the opening goal for the Black Raiders, who won the program’s first regional title in 11 years with a 2-0 victory.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    OPENING HIT — Getting ready to start the action on Oct. 30 in Hampden is Dexter junior Katherine Batron and Winslow freshman Madison Roy.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    CHANCE FOR THE TIGERS — Putting the ball in play on a penalty corner later in the second half is junior Kolby Kain. Dexter was on the short end of a 12-1 count vs. Winslow.

FIELD HOCKEY
Class C East
championship
No. 1 Winslow 2,
No. 2 Dexter 0

DEX   0    0  —  0
WIN    1    1 —  2
    First half: W — Poulin (Haskell).
    Second half: W — Greene (Wildes).
    Saves: D — Paquin 9; W — Wood 4.
    Penalty corners: D — 1; W — 12.
    Records: W 16-0-1; D 15-2.

Dexter field hockey
2014 results

Regular season
Sept. 4 W 4-0 at John Bapst
Sept. 8 W 3-0 at Orono
Sept. 12 W 6-0 vs. Hermon
Sept. 13 W 4-0 at Foxcroft
Sept. 15 W 6-2 vs. Central
Sept. 17 W 5-1 at Stearns
Sept. 19 W 7-2 at PCHS
Sept. 23 W 7-1 vs. Old Town
Sept. 26 W 4-0 at Central
Sept. 29 W 2-1 vs. Mattanawcook
Oct. 2 W 7-0 vs. PCHS
Oct. 4 W 7-0 vs. John Bapst
Oct. 10 W 3-0 at Mattanawcook
Oct. 13 L 1-0 vs. Foxcroft

Class C East
quarterfinal
Oct. 21 W 7-0 vs. (7) Central

Class C East semifinal
Oct. 28 W 1-0 vs. (3) Foxcroft at Husson University

Class C East final
Oct.  30 L 1-0 vs. (1) Winslow at Hampden Academy