Foxcroft’s 17th shutout results in Class C state championship
Ponies win third title in program history
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
YARMOUTH — One goal would be all that was needed for the Foxcroft Academy field hockey team as, for the 17th time in 18 games this season, the Ponies held the opposition scoreless.
On the afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 2 the shutout paid off for the ultimate prize as Foxcroft Academy (17-0-1) bested Western Maine champion North Yarmouth Academy (14-3-1) 1-0 to win the Class C state championship on the artificial turf at Yarmouth High School. The team won its 17th consecutive game and finished 2013 with a goal differential of 66 for to just one against — which came during a 2-1 double-overtime win over Mount View High School of Thorndike in the Class C East semifinals.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
THE CLASS OF CLASS C — Foxcroft Academy defeated Western Maine champion North Yarmouth Academy 1-0 to win the Class C state championship on Nov. 2 at Yarmouth High School. The Ponies won the team’s 17th consecutive game, the only non-victory was a 0-0 tie at Class B Old Town, and third state field hockey crown in program history. Foxcroft finished 2013 having given up just one goal in 18 games.
Nearly 14 minutes into play on Saturday the Ponies were awarded a penalty corner, and at the 16:17 mark sophomore Madison Fadley put the ball in play from the left of the Panther goal. The insertion pass went right to junior Julia Annis who quickly fired a shot off from near the top of the circle at North Yarmouth’s junior keeper Elizabeth Coughlin.
The ball hit Coughlin in the chest and fell to the turf below. Coughlin looked for the loose ball but Fadley, who was perfectly positioned on the left of the goal, got a stick on it. Fadley’s shot rolled past the keeper and into the right side of the goal to put Foxcroft ahead 1-0 with 16:07 to go in the opening half.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
BATTLE OF THE ACADEMYS — Foxcroft senior Amber Anderson, with junior Emma Tetlow in the background, gets ready to resume play during the second half against North Yarmouth Academy Nov. 2 on the turf at Yarmouth High School.
“She’s there at the right place at the right time,” Foxcroft head coach Stephanie Smith said about Fadley, who also had the only score in the Ponies’ Eastern Maine championship victory earlier in the week over Winslow High School.
With just under eight minutes to go in the first half, Panther senior Olivia Madore ran through the Pony defense on a breakaway. Foxcroft junior keeper Brianna Skolfield came out to play the ball and knocked it away from Madore as the defense then cleared it safely away.
“They’re a tough team, they fought to the end for a full 60 minutes,” Smith said about North Yarmouth.
The Panthers had another scoring opportunity in the final minute and a half of regulation, but Skolfield — who finished with four saves — dove on the turf to stop a shot by North Yarmouth junior Marina Poole.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
FLAWLESS DEFENSE — The shutout of North Yarmouth was the 17th of the season for Foxcroft, as the Ponies gave up one goal in 18 games from early September to Nov. 2. Running out to stop a penalty corner in the state game are juniors Fern Morrison (8), Abigail Simmons (21) and senior Mackenzie Coiley in front of junior keeper Brianna Skolfield.
As the clock wound down to zero in the second half, with Foxcroft leading 1-0, the team’s day was not over as the Panthers were awarded a penalty corner in the game’s final seconds. The Pony defense prevented a shot attempt on the play, but could not clear the ball as North Yarmouth was given another chance to keep its season alive.
Madore hit the ball in from the left and her pass went to senior Kayla Rose. Rose fired off a shot but Foxcroft senior Amber Anderson got in the line of fire to block Rose’s shot. The ball ended up going out of play up and over the goal off of Anderson as the Panthers had a third penalty corner and another chance to tie the game.
The third straight penalty corner again began with Madore’s insertion from the left. This time the Panthers could not get a shot off as the ball rolled to the right of the goal. Pony senior Emily Higgins got to the loose ball as the official soon ruled that the game was over, with Foxcroft winning the third state championship in program history.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
WHAT A WEEK — Sophomore Madison Fadley of Foxcroft, putting the ball in play on a penalty corner vs. North Yarmouth, scored the only goals for the Ponies in both the state championship game and Eastern Maine final, four days prior.
“We really have a great defense,” Skolfield said in crediting her teammates for their play against North Yarmouth and all season long as the keeper posted her 17th shutout of 2013.
“Our defense is tough, tough as nails,” Smith said. “We have backs that grind through the whole game.”
The state championship was the third in program history for the Foxcroft field hockey team, as the squad also won the Class C crown in 1991 and 2007. The Ponies avenged the team’s only loss in the state game by defeating North Yarmouth, who bested Foxcroft in the 2010 contest in penalty corners. The Panthers were playing in the title game for the fifth time in the last six seasons and seventh overall.
Members of the state championship team include senior captains Amber Anderson, Emily Higgins and Mackenzie Coiley; juniors Julia Annis, Jennifer Boyer, Aliviah King, Deseray LaBlanc, Fern Morrison, Abigail Simmons, Brianna Skolfield and Emma Tetlow; sophomores Brittany Adkins, Avery Carroll, Madison Fadley and Rebecca Wallace; freshmen Becca Anderson, Jillian Annis, Abbi Bourget, Alli Bourget, Kilee Hutchinson and Lexi Raymond; coach Sabrina Sharrow — who played on the 2007 Class C state championship team and head coach Stephanie Smith.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
BALL CONTROL — Settling a loose ball is Foxcroft junior Fern Morrison with senior Emily Higgins and North Yarmouth junior Marina Poole behind.