The Hermon girls soccer team has been chasing a long-elusive state championship. And the still-undefeated Hawks will get another chance at the title this weekend after taking down Skowhegan 5-0 in Thursday night’s Class B North regional final.
The win moved Hermon to 17-0 on the season as they look to avenge last year’s loss in the state championship.
Hermon went up 1-0 early Thursday night at Cameron Stadium in Bangor on a Tessa Ewer penalty kick, which the Hawks senior earned as she outmaneuvered the Skowhegan defense into the box.
“Our rule is, if you earn the PK, you have the right to take it,” Hermon coach MJ Ball said about Ewer’s opening goal. “And she stepped up and took it.”
The Hawks continued to dominate possession against the River Hawks throughout the first half, sending several long shots just off target as they attempted to stretch their lead further.
Sophomore midfielder Mya Lancaster did just that later in the first half with a blistering long shot from over 20 yards that went off the far post and in to make it 2-0.
A great diving save by Skowhegan keeper Natalie Cooke stopped a screaming shot from Natalie Tardie and kept it a 2-0 Hermon lead at halftime.
Not long after halftime, another sophomore midfielder extended the lead for Hermon on yet another beautiful goal from distance.
Payton Guerette powered through a shot from over 30 yards to put the Hawks up 3-0.
Tardie and Madison Stewart, Hermon’s two 100 career goal scorers, seemingly connected for a fantastic score to go up 4-0 after a dizzying set of dribbles from Tardie and a strong finish by Stewart, but that apparent goal was called back for offsides.
Ewer added her second goal not long after, stretching the lead to 4-0. And Stewart connected on another long shot in the final minute of the game to finish things for Hermon 5-0.
After falling to Greely of Cumberland in the state championship a year ago, Stewart is feeling like this could finally be the Hawks’ year to take home the state title.
“We just really, really want it,” Stewart said about that elusive championship.
This will be the Hawks’ seventh trip to the state finals in 12 years under Ball as coach.
“Our goal at the very beginning of the year was to get back to states,” Ball said.
Hermon will have a chance to re-write that history when it faces Cape Elizabeth on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Edward Little High School in Auburn.
