OLD TOWN – For a field hockey goalie, there’s nothing as pressure-filled as a penalty stroke.

Not for Old Town ‘keeper Emilie Richard. She’s used to facing penalty strokes.

She even likes them, which is a good thing for the Indians field hockey team. Richard stopped a Hermon penalty stroke in the second half, which made Kasey Spencer’s first-half goal stand up, as Old Town edged Hermon 1-0 Thursday night at Victory Field.

The undefeated Indians (9-0) had their hands full with the Hawks (2-6-1). Old Town outshot Hermon 15-9, but the Hawks had a number of good scoring chances right in front of the net.

Their best opportunity to score was the penalty stroke, called on Richard because she covered the ball with her foot.

“I do that a lot because when I’m lying down it’s hard for me to make a save,” she said. “I hold it whenever I can because I love penalty strokes. … It’s just me and them. It’s just easier for me other than five people [coming] at me.”

Erin Lucey lined up the ball and sent a shot toward Richard, who batted it down. The goalie jumped up and down as the Indians crowded around her to celebrate the save.

“[Lucey] did everything she could,” Hermon coach Amy Laughlin said. “It was just a good save.”

Spencer scored the game-winning goal for the Indians when she knocked in a rebound with 4:27 left in the first half.

“I just remember Kendall [Tracewski] dived for it, it went underneath her,” Spencer said. “It was crazy.”

Old Town coach Dodi Saucier said she wanted the Indians to work the sides a little more because Hermon was getting to balls easily in the midfield.

“Sometimes we were hitting the ball down the middle too much,” she said. “When we would get the ball out to the sideline we did a lot better. Every time we went through the middle [the Hawks] were stopping us. They did a really good job.”

Laughlin said she was pleased with how well the Hawks withstood – and dished out – offensive pressure. Forwards Kathryn Cyr, Jessie Deprey, Noelle O’Clair, and Lucey all made solid runs through the middle and down the wings.

“They played incredible today,” Laughlin said. “I’m pretty proud. The girls had heart. … To play like that with a team like Old Town is great.”

Richard finished with 10 saves. Hermon goalie Natalie Bell made eight saves.