HAMPDEN, Maine — The prolific Hermon High School tandem of juniors Madison Stewart and Natalie Tardie entered Wednesday night’s Class B North championship game against Medomak Valley of Waldoboro with 43 goals between them.
In a span of 8:50 to open the second half, it had swelled to 46.
Tardie scored a pair of goals in the first 7:24 of the half to break a scoreless tie and fed Stewart for another one 1:26 later and the 15-2 Hawks went on to post a 5-1 victory for their fourth B North title in five years.
Medomak Valley finished up at 14-3.
Tardie and Stewart added added a goal apiece in the final six minutes of the game,
Tardie now has 20 goals on the season and Stewart has 28.
Hermon will play either Cape Elizabeth or Greely of Cumberland Center in Saturday’s state final at Cameron Stadium in Bangor.
Tardie scored her 18th goal of the season just 36 seconds into the second half when she gathered in a perfect through ball from Brooke Gallop, stopped to survey the positioning of goalkeeper Chloe Fox and slid her 12-yard shot to Fox’s left,
Tardie scored again off a pretty passing sequence.
Ella Johnson made a run down the right flank and tapped a short pass over to Stewart, who quickly fed it to Tardie.
Stewart made it 3-0 from close range off a Tardie pass.
Hard-working MV standout Scarlett Flint scored to make it 3-1 before Tardie and Stewart capped the scoring.
Hermon had a 13-9 edge in shot attempts in the scoreless first half and dominated the final 20 minutes.
Both goalies were tested and came up with some good saves.
Fox sprinted off her line to smother Tardie’s clean break-in.
