Skowhegan edges rival Gardiner
Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
SKOWHEGAN — After Michelle Farley saved the game, it was up to fellow senior Jessie Corson to stare down the victory.
Skowhegan Area High School's Haley King takes a shot during the first half of the Indians' 2-1 win Saturday over Gardiner Area High School in Skowhegan.
click to enlarge
Farley, a sweeper for Skowhegan Area High School, laid out for a spectacular save in Saturday morning's game against Gardiner. That kept the game tied at the half, and Corson's penalty stroke in the second half held up for a 2-1 Skowhegan win.
Corson's game-winning goal came with 27:08 left in the game. Jess Dorman, Skowhegan's leading scorer, had a certain goal stopped short of the cage when it bounced off the shin of a Gardiner defender.
Since the ball would have gone into the cage if not for the violation, the Indians were awarded a penalty stroke. Corson was chosen for the shot, and delivered a perfect one just inside the right post.
"She's done it the longest," said Skowhegan coach Paula Doughty, explaining why she picked Corson for the stroke. "All my seniors stroke well, and some of the younger kids, too. But I just think Jessie's had the most experience."
"I look (the goalie) in the eyes and try to intimidate her," Corson said with a sheepish laugh. "But I don't know if it always works."
Both teams were 7-0 entering the game, but when they had last met, Skowhegan cruised to a lopsided 5-1 victory on the same field. This game was much different, as Gardiner controlled the play early and forced Indians goalie Carlee Evans to make nine saves in the first half.
Gardiner's pressure finally got through with 13:52 left in the first half. Evans booted the ball out of the circle, but Lynsey Seymour was there and sent it back in the circle and past Evans. Laura Nimon deflected in the drive on the left side for a 1-0 Tigers lead.
It took Skowhegan just 1 minute and 12 seconds to tie the score, as Hayley King pushed the ball to Katy LePage on the left post, and LePage angled the ball across and got it inside the far post.
The Indians were outshot 11-3 in the first half, and were lucky to be tied going into the break. In the final minute of the half, the ball got by Evans, but Farley dove across the goal line to stop a hard shot with her stick.
"If we go up 2-1, and we set them back on their heels, of course it's (big)," Gardiner coach Moe McNally said. "That didn't happen. But we got them probably a couple more times at least, and we'll make some adjustments."
"Michelle Farley is a phenomenal sweeper, all over the field," Doughty said. "She's great around the cage, but on the field, she's the person who comes up big, who lets people get into position."
Skowhegan's defense was stronger in the second half, and there were only two really anxious moments for the Indians fans. Midway through the half, Evans slid past the ball while trying to kick it out of the circle, leaving a wide-open cage. Skowhegan's defense rotated back and kept the Tigers from getting off a shot. Two minutes later, Gardiner did put the ball in the cage, but play had been whistled dead a few seconds earlier.
While both teams are loaded with standouts, both coaches learned about the depth of their benches. Doughty used 19 players, including freshmen like Courtney Veinotte and Becca Roy. McNally, missing sweeper Brittnee Greenleaf to the flu, switched some players around and got excellent results.
"Hayley Spear played sweep for us today, and did a great job," McNally said. "Emily Sirois, who came off the bench for us and played fullback — she's normally a midfielder — just stepped up and played a phenomenal game."
Matt DiFilippo — 861-9243
mdifilippo@centralmaine.com