OAKLAND — For a moment, it seemed the Messalonskee girls lacrosse team might pull off a stunning comeback.

But with 50 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, freshman Pearl Hall scored to secure a 14-12 win over Camden Hills in a matchup of Class B contenders.

Lucy Ward, a junior, led Camden Hills (9-5) with six goals, while classmate Cora Gates added three goals. Hall and junior Amelia Constantine each scored twice.

“We’re really happy, beating them is such a great (feeling),” Ward said. “We’ve worked hard this season just to move the ball and do the best we can.”

Chloe Masse, a senior, led the Eagles (11-3) with five goals, while Sophia Ventimiglia chipped in with three.

Camden Hills was up 13-9 entering the fourth quarter, but the Eagles notched three straight goals before Hall put the game away with her second goal.

How did they get there?

The Windjammers jumped out of the gate with a heavy offensive attack, highlighted by three goals from Ward in the first quarter. Camden Hills was able to cut through the Messalonskee defense multiple times throughout the game for breakaway goals.

“This whole season, we’ve just talked about possession (on offense),” Ward said. “Staying calm and just finding the right pass.”

The Eagles fought back, however, led by three goals in the first half from Masse. By halftime, Camden Hills had a 7-5 lead.

“They didn’t give up,” said Messalonskee coach Cora Clukey. “It showed what we’re made of, that we can fight and stick with anyone. Camden Hills is a great team and well coached.”

While the Windjammers never lost the lead, the Eagles battled throughout and got great goaltending from senior Adriana Pettingill.

“Our goalie came up with some big saves a couple times and that helped for sure,” Clukey said.

What does this mean?

Camden Hills jumped from fifth place to third in the Class B Heal point standings, trailing No. 1 Greely and No. 2 Messalonskee. The win secures a bye into the playoff quarterfinals.

“This gives us a lot of momentum,” Ward said. “This was like a playoff game with the environment, all the fans yelling and stuff. It gave us just that little bit of pressure that we need going into the playoffs.”

“We’ve had a really good schedule this year where we’ve seen a lot of good competition,” added Camden Hills coach Wade Ward. “We’ve had some games where we’ve dominated and we’ve gotten dominated. But games like today give us an opportunity. For the girls to feel (Messalonskee) coming back, for those girls to have that effort level and for our girls to stay calm, that’s what is hopefully going to be helpful going into the playoffs.”

The Windjammers snapped a three-game winning streak for the Eagles, who also will get a bye in the Class B tournament.

Statistical leaders

Camden Hills: Lucy Ward (6 goals), Cora Gates (3 goals), Amelia Constantine (2 goals), Pearl Hall (2 goals)

Messalonskee: Chloe Masse (5 goals), Sophia Ventimiglia (3 goals)