Oxford Hills’s Lauren Merril drives the ball as Mt. Blue’s Rylee Keaten tries to intervene in a Class A North field hockey game at Caldwell Field in Farmington on Tuesday. Tony Blasi/Sun Journal Buy this Photo
FARMINGTON — Oxford Hills field hockey coach Cindy Goddard believes the Vikings’ early first-half goal was enough to rattle the Mt. Blue Cougars on a damp Tuesday afternoon at Caldwell Field.
Freshman midfielder Allison Slicer delivered the first goal on senior Kate Bowen’s assist at 28:19 to help the Vikings orchestrate a 2-0 victory and put a blemish on Mt. Blue’s once-pristine record.
“I think it really helps to have a (first) goal to work on,” Goddard said, “… I think it really helped.
“They (Cougars) are usually much more composed. They seemed like they were really rushing, and when you have to rush under pressure, sometimes that’s a little bit different. It is always fun to play Mt. Blue. Despite the weather, both teams came out and played a great game.”
The Vikings (6-2) owned the first half and came right at the Cougars (7-1) like those dark and ominous clouds that drifted by Farmington.
There were two 30-minute delays in the Class A North contest. Rain forced the game to begin at 4:30 p.m., and then just as the halftime break was ending, lightning was spotted in the distance, which meant another 30-minute delay. And if the threatening skies weren’t enough, the temperature dropped like a rock throughout the game.
“It is always a little bit iffy when you have a big chunk of time after a really hyped-up first half,” Oxford Hills assistant coach Hayly Holman said. “But the girls came out ready to play mentally with an edge. They were on.
“It is always a fight against Mt. Blue in the last few years, so you never know what we are going to get sometimes in these games, but overall we just played as a team and sticking to a disciplined defense and positionally being disciplined as well.
“Also just a shout-out to our goalie (Madison Day). Especially in the second half, she really kept us in it. And to our sweep Olivia Gallon. She has been working in that new position this year.”
Mt. Blue Ella Stone wrestles with the ball in front Oxford Hills goalie Madison Day in a Class A North Field Hockey game at Caldwell Field in Farmington on Tuesday. Tony Blasi/Sun Journal Buy this Photo
Those delays didn’t really slow down either team.
Slicer’s first-half goal left the Cougars smarting, but Mt. Blue turned it around in the second half on offense.
The Cougars did everything they could on offense except put the ball in the net, and that was due to Day, a senior keeper who made nine saves to earn herself a shutout.
“She had some great saves,” Goddard said. “There wasn’t a lot of congestion in front of the net, and when she can see the ball, she does a great job.”
But the Vikings were also riled up. Senior forward Brooke Carson slipped another goal by Mt. Blue goalie Brooke Bolduc (eight saves) at 23:14 in the second half. Senior midfielder Margaret Hartnett got the assist on the goal.
“If we could play with that intensity (in the second half), that would be great,” Harmon said. “We have to find some ways to come out ready to play right from the start — and this is perfect example when you don’t.
“The second half we just didn’t give up. We attacked; we were hustling, going after every ball. The first half, I think we had one shot on goal. We got some shots (in the second half) and their goalie had an outstanding game. You couldn’t get anything by her.
“We had opportunities, but we just didn’t finish.”
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