BREWER, Maine – It has been quite a week for the Messalonskee field hockey team from Oakland.
It began with a 2-1 double overtime win over defending 22-time Class A North champion Skowhegan and concluded with a 3-2 overtime win over previously unbeaten Brewer at Heddericg Field on Saturday morning.
Messalonskee improved to 5-2 with its fourth straight victory.
Brewer fell to 6-1.
Junior forward Sophia Ventimiglia’s second goal of the game decided it off a perfectly-executed penalty corner with 4:09 left in the first overtime.
Ventimiglia inserted the pass to senior back Chloe Michaud at the top of the circle on a designed play and then raced to the near post.
Michaud whipped the ball toward the cage and Ventimiglia directed it in.
“I had my stick out and it went in the cage,” said Ventimiglia.
“I’m getting some new gray hairs after two overtime games this week,” said Messalonskee coach Katie Brann. “This was a huge win. I’m super excited.”
Brewer had the momentum heading into overtime after senior Allie Flagg tied it off a penalty corner with 2:55 left in regulation.
But Brann said she liked her team’s chances going into overtime, in which each team removes four players to make it 7 vs. 7.
“I really like our top seven in overtime. I felt pretty confident,” said Brann.
It didn’t take the Witches long to open the scoring with Jordin Williams firing the ball past Messalonskee goalie Abby Holt just 1:55 into the contest after corralling the rebound of her initial shot.
Brewer had the better of the play in the first with an edge in possession of the ball and time spent in the attacking third.
Both teams defended well with Brewer owning a 3-2 edge in shot attempts.
Messalonskee came out strong in the second half and Ventimiglia tied it up off a penalty corner just 1:42 into the half.
She made the insertion pass and Elsie Bell took a shot from the right side of the circle.
Her shot hit a stick and the ball rolled across to the far side where Ventimiglia swept it in by placing her short shot inside the post to the left of Brewer goalie Abbie Derosier.
Messalonskee took the lead in the fourth quarter when sophomore forward Addie Hafford scored off a scramble in the circle.
But the Witches responded off a late penalty corner when Flagg was set up nicely on the left side by Paige Oakes and scored with a well-placed shot past freshman goalkeeper Baylee Dillon.
Messalonskee had a 7-4 edge in shot attempts in the second half and overtime.
The Eagles had the edge in possession and touches in the opposing penalty circle.
“It was a real good game. We’re evenly-matched. It could have gone either way,” said Messalonskee senior back Michaud.
“This wasn’t the way we wanted it to come out,” said Brewer coach Jamie Emerson. “Messalonskee definitely outworked us for the win. We’re pretty evenly-matched but they wanted it more.”
Emerson said her team has had an issue with “becoming complacent after we get the lead and that’s something we need to work on.”
Messalonskee will host Bangor on Monday at 5 p.m. while Brewer will play again on Tuesday when it travels to Lewiston for a 5:30 game.
