‘Jammers hold off Mustangs Camden Hills picks up key victory over Mount View

THORNDIKE – The Camden Hills field hockey team closed out a tough stretch of games on an upbeat note, and with a win that could vault the Windjammers into contention for a home berth for the Eastern Maine Class B playoffs.

The ‘Jammers scored twice in the first half and then held off Mount View in the second for a 2-1 victory Thursday at the high school field.

Laura Schelbe led Camden Hills, now 6-6-1 including a 1-0 season-opening win against the Mustangs, with a goal and an assist on Marianne Croce’s game-winner. Croce scored with four seconds left in the first half.

Mount View, which was ranked fifth in the most recent Heal point standings, fell to 5-6-2. That means the win will help the Windjammers, who were ranked seventh.

The Camden Hills players were well aware of the importance of the victory.

“We knew they were fifth so that definitely played a big part in wanting to beat them and get some points,” said ‘Jammer halfback Kate Fetterman, whose free hit was the key play on Schelble’s goal. “We knew we’d have to do well.”

Camden Hills was coming off Wednesday’s 1-1 tie against Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield and a 2-1 loss to Erskine of South China. Both teams were ranked lower than Camden Hills.

Even though the Windjammers scored twice in the first half and shots on goal were even with six apiece, Mount View dominated play most of the period.

“It was the same thing that happened the last time we played them,” Mount View coach Linda Cianchette said. “It was just one of those games. … We came into this game very excited and wanted to keep the pressure on them.”

So Camden Hills made the most of the few good chances it got. With 13:26 left in the first half, Schelble made a light touch on a free hit by Fetterman – a hit that came from just outside the penalty circle – and the ball then deflected off a Mount View player and rolled slowly into the goal.

Seconds before halftime, Schelbe tapped a pass over to Croce, who tried to push it into the goal. The ball deflected off goalie Carrie Beverage’s pads, and Croce took another shot. Her second try went in.

The Windjammers outshot the Mustangs 6-2 in the second half and had seven penalty corners to Mount View’s one, but the Mustangs managed to convert their lone corner.

Britney Bowden passed the ball to Mollie Arute, who tapped it past Camden Hills goalie Dale Winsper with 14:20 left in the game.

“That [set play] actually hasn’t worked that well this year, but it did today,” Cianchette said.

Camden Hills didn’t convert any of its 10 penalty corners.

“Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but we put it all together in the end,” Croce said.

Winsper finished with four saves on eight shots. Beverage and Lyndsey Cronin combined for nine saves on 12 shots.