WINSLOW — At times this season, Winslow field hockey coach Mary Beth Bourgoin has urged senior midfielder Alli LeClair to shoot a little more and set up her shots a little less.

On Monday, LeClair was listening, and showed why Bourgoin keeps wanting her to shoot.

With a key game against Leavitt looking like it was heading for overtime, LeClair pounded in a shot with 2 minutes, 37 seconds left, giving the Black Raiders a 3-2 victory on Monday afternoon.

“She’s done a great job being a playmaker for us,” Bourgoin said. “One of the things she likes to do is she likes to take the extra tap before she takes the shot. So I said, ‘You’ve got to get your shot off,’ because her shot’s too good.”

Winslow bumped its record to 11-2, while Leavitt dropped to 11-3. Both teams are assured of playoff spots and trying to secure positions. Winslow entered the game fifth in Eastern B, while the Hornets were No. 2 in Western B.

“This was a big game for moving up or staying where we are,” Leavitt coach Wanda Ward-MacLean said. “We play in the West, too, so we don’t play those teams. It’s hard to know how we match up with them. We really wanted this game.”

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The Black Raiders had a 15-4 edge in penalty corners, but that didn’t directly translate into any goals. In large part because of Leavitt’s defense in the circle (particularly back Chantel Eells), Winslow had a total of one shot on those 15 corners.

But Winslow was better in more open space, and went up 1-0 with 14:26 left in the first half when LeClair sent the ball into the circle and Mackenzie Winslow knocked it in for a goal. Less than three minutes later, Leavitt scored on a corner, as Sadie Royer golfed in a shot from close range. About five minutes after that, Winslow got her second goal when she pushed home a rebound and the Raiders led 2-1 at the break.

In the second half, Winslow took six straight corners without a shot. Later, Leavitt’s Bri DeGone fed Emma Martineau for a goal and the game was tied at 2 with 11 minutes left. It stayed that way until LeClair’s late goal.

“The last goal, we stood back, instead of being aggressive and getting to the ball with your stick down,” Ward-MacLean said. “We kind of were a little hesitant and that was our undoing.”

Leavitt put on some pressure in the final minute, but Winslow’s Jordyn Dorval made a nice play to get the ball out of the circle, and Bethany Winkin intercepted a pass at midfield to quash the Hornets’ last hope.

Winslow’s final regular-season game is against Waterville this afternoon. Although the Purple Panthers are 11th in Eastern B and have 12 players on their roster, it’s a tough draw, because a win might put Waterville in the playoffs.

“They know they’ve got to go home and take a break, but come back tomorrow and focus for 60 minutes,” Bourgoin said. “They know what they’re going to be up against, because even though there’s (12) players, there’s (12) good players, with a very good coach.”

Matt DiFilippo — 861-9243

mdifilippo@centralmaine.com


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