High school soccer and field hockey teams across central Maine are preparing for playoff games. One team is preparing to play without one of its top performers.
The Monmouth Academy girls soccer team will be without junior midfielder Sammy Grandahl, who suffered an arm injury in Saturday’s Mountain Valley Conference championship game against Madison. The injury occurred in the final two minutes of the second overtime, when Grandahl collided with a Madison player while going for a loose ball.
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Late Sunday afternoon, Monmouth coach Gary Trafton said he was waiting to hear on the severity of Grandahl’s injury.
“Most likely, she will not be playing Wednesday,” Trafton said.
Monmouth, the No. 2 seed in Western Class C, hosts No. 7 Sacopee Valley at 3 p.m., Wednesday.
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One of the interesting playoff rematches comes in Eastern Class C field hockey, where top-seed Winslow hosts No. 4 Mount View on Tuesday in a regional semifinal. Winslow beat the Mustangs, 3-2, in their one regular-season meeting.
“They’re very good up the center,” Winslow coach Mary Beth Bourgoin said of Mount View. “They’re very quick, good defensively, and can transition to offense quickly.”
Bourgoin said she feels her 13-0-1 Black Raiders can still improve.
“I don’t think they’ve played their best game,” Bourgoin said of her team. “They still have that in them.”
Mount View and Winslow will play 3 p.m.
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The top four teams in the Eastern Class A field hockey tournament advanced to the regional semifinals. No. 4 Mt. Blue will face top-seed Skowhegan at Thomas College at 7 p.m., Tuesday. No. 3 Messalonskee plays at No. 2 Lawrence at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
In Eastern Class B, top-seed Gardiner will take on No. 4 Old Town at 5 p.m., Tuesday at Thomas College.
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Erskine Academy boys soccer coach Phil Hubbard is not taking Medomak Valley, his team’s opponent in the Eastern B quarterfinals, lightly.
The Eagles defeated Medomak Valley twice in the regular season, each time by a 5-1 score. But the 12th-seeded Panthers upset No. 5 Old Town to get this far, and Hubbard doesn’t doubt Medomak Valley has another upset in it if his team does not play well at 3 p.m., Tuesday.
“It’s the playoffs. The regular season doesn’t matter,” Hubbard said. “I’m glad that we’re home… They (Medomak Valley) are a team that can battle really hard.”
Erskine is 12-1-2, and Hubbard said his veteran team is eager to play.
“Our boys just always play hard. I don’t have to motivate these guys,” Hubbard said. “This is a special group of guys.”
No. 4 Erskine advanced with a 3-0 win over No.13 John Bapst.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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