ORONO — Maine Central Institute dominated the first 30 minutes of its first Class C state championship game yet had nothing to show for it. Rather than carry any frustration over to the second half, though, the Huskies just took their game to yet another level.
Addi Williams capped off a beautiful give-and-go series with April McAlpine just 19 seconds into the second half to give MCI the only goal it would need in a 2-0 win over Oak Hill on Saturday at Morse Field on the campus of the University of Maine.
“We knew we had to pull something off,” said Williams, who scored 11 goals in her last five games, including seven in the playoffs. “We just did it and it worked out perfectly. I’m very happy with it.”
Kali Doiron added an insurance goal for the Huskies (14-4). Goalie Mikayla Carr earned the shutout by turning aside nine shots by Oak Hill (12-6), which was also seeking its first state championship.
“We knew that we were capable of scoring. We just hadn’t quite been able to put it together yet,” MCI coach Nancy Hughes said. “That give-and-go series is sort of emblematic of the way we see ourselves as a team. We kind of see ourselves as a fast, passing-based team. To have those girls look up and recognize that situation and put that ball in a perfect space is just that emotional spark that you need.”
Abby Fuller kept the Raiders in the game with 10 saves, including a spectacular kick stop right off the bat to deny McAlpine.
A team effort on defense limited the Raiders to just one shot on goal in the first half and kept possession favoring the Huskies, who sustained the pressure on the other end with eight penalty corners to Oak Hill’s one.
“We just could not penetrate,” Oak Hill coach Betsy Gilbert said. “They blocked us well up the middle. We just could not get our passes into them. It was just a little tough handling that.”
“One of our strengths is the fact that the girls consider themselves players all the way up and down the field. So traditionally offensive positions know they have to get back and help. They can’t just wait and expect the ball to come down the field to them,” Hughes said.
Despite controlling both ends, the Huskies still managed a modest five shots on goal in the first half.
“I thought we played pretty well,” Hughes said. “I did talk at halftime about how we had another level of intensity that we needed to get to.”
“Coach made it clear that we needed to step it up, step in front of the player and go out and play how we play. And we did,” Doiron said.
Williams finally solved Fuller with a low and hard shot to her left.
Dorion made it 2-0 with 25:57 to go, setting up near the left post and one-timing a pass from Victoria Friend.
“Vic got the ball and made a nice cross across the cage and I made contact,” Doiron said. “It was comforting (being up two goals), I guess you could say.”
“MCI is a great stick-handling team,” Gilbert said. “They outhustled us at times. But our girls didn’t give up. They were right there doubling. We just didn’t have as much depth as they did.”
Led by senior forward Kylee Veilleux, Oak Hill picked up its intensity after Doiron’s goal and started to get more consistent pressure on Carr in the final 20 minutes but never rattled the ball in the cage.
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