WINTHROP — The Winthrop field hockey team fought off a pair of Gardiner penalty corner attempts in the game’s final two minutes to win 3-2 on Friday and remain undefeated.

Gardiner scored both its goals off of corners earlier in the half, rallying from a 3-0 halftime deficit.

“That was a really good win for us, and it was a great, great game,” Ramblers coach Melissa Perkins said. “It was nice for our girls to have to be tested there at the end; Gardiner came on strong. They are an excellent team, and we know that.”

The Ramblers (10-0) scored twice in the first quarter and once in the second before the Tigers (10-2) struck back.

Four minutes into the second half, Davyn Swindells scored Gardiner’s first goal off a corner, assisted by Brynnlea Chaisson. With 11:43 remaining in the fourth quarter, Gabi Sousa scored off an assist from Macy Hickey to cut the deficit to 3-2.

But Winthrop’s defense took over from there and preserved the win.

Gardiner coach Jess Merrill — who coached Winthrop to three consecutive Class C championship game appearances from 2017-19, winning it all in 2018 — said several of her starters were either newer members or playing unfamiliar positions due to team sicknesses and injuries. During Wednesday’s 3-1 victory at Lawrence, two players went to the hospital, Merrill said.

“We’ve got a lot of girls right now that are playing, that don’t usually play,” Merrill said. “We’ve got a bunch of girls that are out right now, a bunch of starters that are out. To give the girls that don’t necessarily get a chance to play or be in big spots is great.”

Merrill said she talked to the team at halftime about going out strong in the second half, following a flat first half.

“We have a thing where when it’s not going well, we have the girls step over our line, it’s like a refocus and a reset,” Merrill said. “The girls knew that we weren’t playing our best in the first half, and we moved some girls around. It seemed to make the difference.”

Added Perkins: “I expected it to be a tight game. It’s two very good teams here, a lot of great players on the field and a lot of skill out there. The passing, the aerials, the use of their teammates, it was really good.”

Senior captain Madeline Wagner opened the scoring in the first quarter with a goal following a corner. But the play utilized was not one Perkins had in mind, Wagner said.

“It wasn’t the play we drew up, but I got a pass from Grace Folsom and I found the corner of the cage,” Wagner said. “It felt really good to get on the scoreboard. I think it was pretty early on, so it gave us our team a bit of confidence, but we couldn’t let that go to our heads. We had to still play like it was 0-0 and play our game.”

Wagner attributed Friday’s offensive success to communication on the field, which is common for a captain such as Wagner, as Perkins said she can depend on her to be a vocal leader.

“I have always been a vocal person on the field, and I’m glad my team lets me do it,” Wagner said. “They’re really great, too, the rest of the captains — we have five of us — they are also so vocal and so helpful on the field. We just preach to be very communicative towards each other.”

Later in the first quarter, junior left wing Olivia Huey scored off the backside post off an assist from Wagner.

“It got driven into the circle, it went past two defenders and the goalie and I just had my stick down and I just hit it in,” Huey said. “I didn’t expect it, I thought I was going to whiff it or something, but I didn’t so that was good.”

Sophomore midfielder Piper Clark scored the Ramblers’ final goal off a one-touch. Clark said the ball went off of the defender’s stick and into the goal, which is something she’s been working on at practice.

“It feels really good, like we worked really hard to get here, and it just feels good,” Huey said about the season so far.

Winthrop goalie Cyara Harriman and Gardiner counterpart Hannah Turgeon made one save apiece.