Foxcroft shuts out Orono in Class C North semifinal
DOVER-FOXCROFT — A penalty stroke goal in the early minutes of a Class C North field hockey semifinal on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 1 on the turf inside the Jim Robinson Field House between top-seeded Foxcroft Academy and No. 5 Orono High School would turn out to be all the Ponies needed. The team won 4-0 and advanced to the regional championship for the third year in a row.
Foxcroft recorded the team’s ninth shutout of the season, which includes a 4-0 regular season victory vs. the Red Riots on Sept. 15, in improving to a perfect 16-0. Orono was shut out for the fifth time in 2025.
The Ponies will now face third seed Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield in the Class C North championship at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at Hampden Academy. The Huskies will enter having won four of five. The two teams played in Dover-Foxcroft during the regular season with Foxcroft winning 5-0 more than a month and a half ago on Sept. 11.
PENALTY STROKE — Foxcroft Academy junior Jenna Hartford scores on a penalty stroke early in the first quarter of a 4-0 Class C North semifinal vs. Orono on Saturday morning, Nov. 1. The now 16-0 top-seeded Ponies advanced to the regional final against No. 3 MCI. Three other area teams have also advanced to regional championships, Dexter girls soccer and PCHS boys soccer in 8-player North competition and Dexter football in the 8-man North division.
This year’s Ponies will look to reach the program’s first state championship since 2019 when the team won the Class C crown – the third of three coming every six years from 2007 to 2013 to 2019 — having fallen to Dexter Regional High School in the 2023 and 2024 regional finals. MCI last reached a regional final in 2022, winning the second of back-to-back Class C North titles.
Against Orono, Foxcroft quickly applied pressure on the Red Riots (the team fell to 10-6) with a pair of penalty corners in the opening minutes. The Ponies finished with a 13-0 corner advantage.
An Orono defender was ruled to have kicked a shot away by the goal and the infraction resulted in a penalty stroke for Foxcroft.
Junior Jenna Hartford got the honors to go one-on-one with Red Riot sophomore keeper Madison Sinclair. Hartford shot to the keeper’s left and Sinclair got a stick on the ball, but it bounced off and in for what turned out to be the winning goal three and a half minutes into the game.
WAY THE BALL BOUNCES — Freshman Ava Rayfield controls a loose ball during a Class C North semifinal between the Ponies and Orono on Nov. 1 with seniors Jaiyde True (14) and Emma McGary (21) looking on. Rayfield had a goal and pair of assists in a 4-0 victory.
A few minutes later freshman Addie Rayfield inserted the ball on a corner from the right. Rayfield quickly got the ball back and she dished it off to sophomore Ava Dunton positioned in front of the goal. Dunton’s shot landed in the upper reaches of the Orono goal for the 2-0 advantage.
In the third quarter Dunton and Rayfield switched as Dunton assisted on Rayfield’s goal.
With just over four minutes to go in the game Rayfield had the ball to the left of the goal when she passed in front of it. Hartford was in perfect position to knock the ball in for her second goal of the day and the fourth and final for Foxcroft. Rayfield had a hand in the three non-penalty stroke goals with two assists and a goal.
The Ponies allowed no shots on goal with junior Lili Bisson in the cage for her team.
FIRST AND FOURTH GOALS — Pony junior Jenna Hartford, with sophomore Ava Dunton running in, scored the first and fourth goals in a 4-0 Foxcroft Class C North semifinal win vs. Orono. Dunton had a goal and an assist as Foxcroft improved to 16-0 and advanced to the regional championship for the third year in a row.
FIELD HOCKEY
CLASS C NORTH
SEMIFINAL
No. 1 Foxcroft 4, No. 5 Orono
ORO 0 0 0 0 – 0
FOX 2 0 1 1 – 4
First: F – Hartford; F – Dunton (Rayfield)
Third: F – Rayfield (Dunton)
Fourth: F– Hartford (Rayfield)
Saves: O – Sinclair 5, F – Li. Bisson 0
Penalty corners: F– 13, O – 0
Records: F– 16-0, O 10-6