GUILFORD – Nothing comes easy in Eastern Maine Class C field hockey this season, a lesson hammered home again for both Piscataquis and Mattanawcook Wednesday afternoon at the high school field.

The Pirates rallied from an early deficit to take a lead. The Lynx of Lincoln rebounded from a late PCHS lead. But neither team could convert in overtime and the game finished in a 3-3 tie.

“I think we’ll find that we’re all even this year and with any game it could be anybody’s day to win,” Piscataquis coach Trisha Moulton said. ” … I don’t feel our girls let down at all. They got tired, and I think that was the difference.”

Senior midfielder Kellie Martel had two goals and an assist for the Pirates, while Brianna Hanscom tied it for the Lynx with seven seconds left in regulation.

“This is a good thing for us,” Hanscom said. “We’re pumped for the next time we play them, because the first two [Piscataquis] goals were a little iffy on our defense’s part.”

The 6-1-1 Pirates and 3-2-2 Lynx will meet again Oct. 7 in Lincoln.

“I think we could have beaten them,” Martel said. “We just needed to play tougher defense and work on getting to the ball before they do. We needed to stop their big hits.”

Piscataquis dominated both overtime periods, which featured 7-on-7 play for eight minutes per period. Speedy Pirate senior Hattie Agnew had a breakaway with about one minute remaining but fell near the 7-yard line when MA goalie Sarah French came out to stop Agnew. Martel gathered the loose ball and shot it into the goal, but an official had already blown the whistle for a foul on Agnew, nullifying Martel’s shot.

“Not much you can do about that,” Martel said. “We should have had it.”

The Pirates, who outshot the Lynx 4-0 in overtime, wouldn’t have needed the extra periods had Hanscom not scored her late goal. The play came after MA’s seventh penalty corner of the second half.

“It just came in off the right side,” Hanscom said. “One of my teammates hit it into me and it bounced around me. I had to get my stick and my [rear end] down because I wasn’t really in a position to score. Once I got down, I just gave it all I had.”

Michelle Paul, who was credited with the assist, gave the Lynx a 1-0 lead four minutes into the game, but Martel tied it nine minutes later. Six minutes after her tying goal, Martel crossed the ball to Kaitlin Smith for a 2-1 advantage.

Martel and Smith hooked up again – this time Smith had the assist after a penalty corner – for a 3-1 lead with 14:07 remaining.

That’s where the Lynx began to dominate. Paul scored her second goal of the game with 2:38 left and MA had a 8-2 shooting advantage after Piscataquis had a 7-1 edge in the first half.

French made six saves and PCHS goalie Jessica Pratt had four saves.