WINTHROP — Spruce Mountain beat Winthrop for the second time this season, scoring two first-half goals to earn a 2-1 victory in a Class C South field hockey showdown Wednesday.
Ava Davis set up sophomore Alaina Kachnovich for the Phoenix’s first goal, on a penalty corner, in the first quarter.
Another sophomore, Aisla Armandi, found the back of the cage for Spruce Mountain’s second goal with 3:43 remaining in the second quarter. She said the play that set up her goal is one of the Phoenix’s “best, one of our strongest ones.”
“We scored off that one the most,” Armandi said, “and as soon as I saw the pass, we figured out (that the) top of the circle down to the side of the circle is very strong because it shifts the defense a lot. As soon as I sent it and I saw it go in, we were really excited.”
Last year, Spruce Mountain lost to Winthrop twice in the regular season and then again in playoffs as the Ramblers went on to win their fourth straight Class C championship. The Phoenix won this season’s first matchup 2-0 at home on Sept. 20.
“The past few years, Winthrop has been a very strong team, so both wins this year have felt really uplifting for our team,” Armandi said. “It’s very exciting.”
Winthrop was without Evelyn Mortimer, who coach Melissa Perkins said is the “catalyst of the offense. Mortimer will be sidelined until the end of the week due to a concussion.
Statistical leaders
• Spruce Mountain (8-3): Alaina Kachnovich (goal), Aisla Armandi (goal), Ava Davis (assist).
• Winthrop (7-5): Natalie Irwin (goal), Gracelyn Folsom (assist).
They said it
• “We saw a lot of good things today. Defense has been kind of our focus throughout the year, because that’s where we lacked at the beginning of the year. It was good to see them figure out where they’re supposed to be at the right time.” — Spruce Mountain coach Alex Bessey
• “We’ve done well defending corners. I think that playing teams like Freeport and Messalonskee have really prepped us on our defensive corners, they’re pretty strong. The one (Spruce Mountain) did score on, we were down a person, right? That’s tough, three-on-nine is a little tough.” — Winthrop coach Melissa Perkins
• “Going from grass to turf is a little bit of a shift, but I think that doing a drag on turf is much easier than going on grass. The control over the ball on turf is a lot easier, and it’s a lot faster (of a) game. Overall, just a better game to watch, way quicker, way more competitive.” — Spruce Mountain’s Aisla Armandi
We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is found on our FAQs. You can modify your screen name here.
Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve.
Join the Conversation
Please sign into your CentralMaine.com account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe. Questions? Please see our FAQs.