This is the time of year when field hockey teams know the rest of their season will be played on artificial turf. Some are used to turf, and even thrive on it. For other teams, like Winthrop, it’s a new experience.
The Ramblers haven’t played on turf as a team since the summer, but they’re not complaining. Turf means the Eastern Maine finals at the Weatherbee Complex in Hampden, and second-ranked Winthrop will play No. 1 Dexter at 3:30 p.m., today in the Eastern C final.
“There are a lot things to adjust to: How the game’s being called, the field surface, the opposing players,” Winthrop coach Sharon Coulton said. “It’s one more thing to adjust to.”
All three games in Hampden involve local teams. No. 1 Skowhegan (16-0) faces No. 2 Messalonskee (13-2-1) in the Eastern A final at 5:30 p.m., and No. 1 Nokomis (15-0-1) takes on No. 3 Belfast (12-1-3) in the Eastern B final, which is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start.
Skowhegan and Messalonskee have met three times this season, and Skowhegan has won all three: A 3-2 overtime win in Skowhegan, a 4-2 victory at Messalonskee, and a 3-0 win two days later in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championship game.
Skowhegan’s Makaela Michonski scored five goals in those three games, but Haley Holt also had a two-goal game and Jessie Skillings has 27 goals this year. Despite the 10 goals allowed, Messalonskee goalie Lexy Cole made great saves in all three games.
This is the fourth straight year the Eagles have played Skowhegan for the Eastern A title, and the Indians have won the previous three.
“The biggest parts for us tomorrow are going to be confidence, No. 1, and No. 2, communication,” Messalonskee coach Katie Gorham said. “I think the girls’ self-confidence has come a long way. Trusting their own skills and trusting their teammates, that’s going to be big in this game.”
Skowhegan was very flat in the first half of Saturday’s 5-2 victory over Cony, but coach Paula Doughty is confident the Indians will come out stronger today.
“Saturday wasn’t our day,” Doughty said. “It’s never happened to them before. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again. They’re ready to play. I have no doubt it will be a great game.
“My kids love the turf,” Doughty added. “It’s always nice to play at home, but it’s always nice to play on turf, too.”
Nokomis and Belfast also met in the KVAC game, as Leah Edmondson had a hat trick to lead Nokomis to a 3-0 victory.
“We know, for us and for them, this game means a lot more,” Nokomis coach Katie Thompson said. “I think we’re both going to be coming into this one with a lot of intensity.”
So it’s reasonable to expect a game more like the season opener between the teams, a 1-1 tie highlighted by Edmondson’s goal and 18 saves by Belfast goalie Julia Ward. Edmondson and Ward play together on the same club team in the summer.
“I think both of us are good turf teams,” Thompson said. “We have good stick skills, and we have athletes who are used to playing on those types of surfaces. So it’s going to be a good match.”
Winthrop (12-2-2) and Dexter (15-1-0) met in last year’s semifinals, with Dexter winning on penalty corners before losing to Foxcroft on a controversial call in the regional final. Coulton said Winthrop assistant Jess Merrill saw the Tigers play this year, and came away feeling Dexter was as strong as last year and maybe a little better offensively.
“The players that I have on defense all played last year, so they know what to expect,” Coulton said.
Winthrop sizzled on offense in Saturday’s win over Central, winning 3-0 on goals by Shauna Carlson, Lauren Kaiser and Mary Claire Blanchard. Coulton said the Ramblers need to play just as well on offense this afternoon.
“The best defense would be a strong offense,” Coulton said, “so we’d like to do that.”
Matt DiFilippo — 861-9243
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