Field hockey teams set for state championships

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The Class A high school field hockey matchup between Bonny Eagle and Skowhegan Saturday at Gorham High School will be a clash of powers – the old verses the new.

The 14-3 Indians have won two titles and made three trips to the final in the last six years, while the 13-2-1 Scots of Standish have not been to the state final in the ’90s. But Bonny Eagle coach Faith Littlefield led the Scots of Standish to six state titles during the ’70s and ’80s.

Still, the new may have an edge over the old in the 2 p.m. game.

Skowhegan defeated Bonny Eagle in a scrimmage early in the season, and in Skowhegan’s 2-1 Eastern Maine final win over Cony Saturday, Skowhegan coach Paula Doughty said the Indians didn’t show one weakness.

“We beat [Cony] to the ball, our passing was perfect, except for one lapse – when we came off marking. And Cony played fabulous,” the 18-year coach said. “It was probably the best high school game I’ve ever seen.”

What’s more, the Indians have scored goals at a rapid pace. Doughty has been substituting regularly all season to keep her team fresh and fast, and the result has been a potent offense.

“I think speed is our greatest weapon,” Doughty said. “I only use subs unless we’re up three or four goals.”

How often is that?

“Most games,” Doughty said of the Indians who scored an average of four-goals a game this season.

In fact, Skowhegan set a school record with 69 goals in 17 games – breaking the 1994 mark of 53 – while it allowed 12 goals in 17 games.

Skowhegan junior Tara Bedard set a school record for career assists with 57 in 29 games in three years, while senior Gina Dinan is now second in career scoring with 41 goals and 40 assists.

Needless to say, Doughty is looking forward to the state game.

“To score 69 goals is pretty phenomenal. I bet its almost a state record. Some teams don’t score 69 in a decade,” Doughty said.

When Winslow coach Brenda Beckwith started coaching in 1993 she walked onto a team with nine seniors and loads of talent and led the Black Raiders to the Class B state title.

Four years later, Beckwith has led Winslow back to the state finals again. And when her Raiders play Leavitt at noon Saturday at Gorham High, she will finally have a field full of players – from seven seniors who start down to three freshman on the roster – who have been brought up on her coaching style.

“This team I’ve taken since they were freshman and groomed them to play the style I like: up-tempo, aggressive, and passing. I’m not big into hit and run,” Beckwith said. “One of our strong points is we have depth at each position. I like the fact there are two kids on the forward line I can substitute and not lose point production or speed.”

The Raiders have not been back to the state championships since 1993, but they head there Saturday with a 17-0 record.

Yet, while Winslow is undefeated, 12-4-1 Leavitt has loads of state experience, having made three trips in five years and won the state title in 1996 and ’94.

Then again, neither team won its regional title handily. Leavitt won three games by a goal and Winslow won two out of three by a goal, and the other by two.

Beckwith said when it comes to championship games, tournament experience goes farther than wins – even when you’re looking at a 17-0 mark.

“The Eastern Maine teams have prepared us well. But the regular season can be deceiving. In this case, it is probably any given team can knock off another team,” she said.

Before last weekend’s close Eastern Maine final game against Piscataquis, the Hall-Dale Bulldogs were looking forward to defending their state title. After trailing the Pirates for 45 minutes, they started to realize they had something to lose.

Now the 10 a.m. Class C game at Gorham High against fellow Mountain Valley Conference team Dirigo won’t be the cake walk the Bulldogs thought the state game might be.

“Up until last Saturday, I don’t think my kids felt any pressure,” said 17-year coach Ellen Vickers. “Then it hit them. They didn’t want to lose. All season I don’t think they felt any pressure. I think they feel a certain pressure not to lose [now]. Certainly, there is the pressure to be upset.”

Vickers said the Bulldogs learned a lot in the EM final, like that they need to make sure forwards Shell Berry and Christy Monteith get the ball. The Pirates’ ability to keep the ball from those key players hurt Hall-Dale.

What the Bulldogs have on their side is a 1-0 regular season win over the Cougars and first-hand knowledge of who to key on: Rachel Chow and Nikki Dominiczak. Dominiczak scored for Kirigo and assisted on the Chow’s game-winner in the Cougars’ Western Maine final win.

Vickers said the Bulldogs have to prevent letting their intensity slip for an instant.

“We’ve discussed that quite a bit this week,” said the 17th-year coach. “We’ve stressed that this week. How we need to be ready. We were just flat. There is no other way to describe it. We built some momentum. When we tied the game, I knew we wouldn’t lose. We can’t get behind.”