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FARMINGTON — On a scenic fall day in the western Maine mountains, there was hardly a patch of grass untouched by Keira Adams’ stick.

Between being active in front of goal, running from sideline to sideline, and tracking back when needed, the Mt. Blue field hockey captain was as lively as could be Tuesday when the Cougars hosted Bangor. She hardly looked like a player who, early in fall practices, was in the hospital rather than with her teammates.

“I’ve learned to be grateful to be here and for what I have,” said Adams, who played the full 60 minutes for Mt. Blue in a 2-1 victory. “I’m healthy, my body is working, and I’m moving around fine. I’m just so lucky that I’m able to be out here.”

That was far from guaranteed six weeks ago after the senior underwent an emergency appendectomy on the second day of preseason. Midway through the season, Adams has learned to see not just field hockey but life from a new perspective.

The fall season started like any other for Adams with the first preseason practice on Aug. 17. That evening, however, she began feeling a sharp pain in her lower chest. Not knowing what was wrong, she initially chose to “tough it out” through the night. 

By morning, though, the pain hadn’t subsided, and Adams knew something was seriously wrong. She went to MaineHealth Medical Center in Portland, where she learned she had an inflamed appendix that required removal. Adams was hospitalized for approximately 12 hours.

“I had never had surgery, so of course I was scared — I had to go under anesthesia, obviously, so I was nervous,” Adams said. “I did cry a lot because my thought was, ‘I don’t want to get it; I don’t want to be taken out of the season,’ but I had no choice, really.”

The appendectomy kept Adams away from the team for four days. Although she rejoined the Cougars for the second week of fall practices, she was not cleared to resume practicing until Sept. 14. That meant, for three weeks, all Adams could do was watch as her teammates practiced and competed.

That was a tough experience, but it was also one that provided a chance for personal growth. Not once, Mt. Blue coach Julie Lajoie said, did Adams sulk or give off a “poor me” attitude. Instead, she became an encouraging voice from the sidelines — and learned the game from a new perspective.

“You want the kids to find some way they can continue to grow, and she found some ways on her own and really contributed more in a verbal way,” Lajoie said. “She was almost like an assistant coach for us in a lot of ways. … I think she became a better captain for us in the process.”

Although Adams, who had been working on her stick skills at home, felt ready to play upon her Sept. 14 return, she was not immediately able. Under Maine Principals’ Association rules, players must take part in five on-field practices before being eligible for competition. Adams, unfortunately, had only practiced once.

The senior made her return in Mt. Blue’s home game against Oxford Hills on Sept. 19. It was a triumphant return for Adams. One minute into the second quarter, she scored the opening goal in the Cougars’ 3-0 win.

“It was the best feeling in the world,” Adams said. “When I was going through that month of waiting, I felt like I kind of lost myself as an athlete because this is my pride and joy. So, when I came back and scored, I really got that spark and that fire. It made me so happy and grateful.”

Her absence from the lineup early in the season left a hole for Mt. Blue. The Cougars lost seven seniors from a strong 2025 squad, so the experience of Adams, who scored four goals last season, looked crucial for a younger 2026 team. Instead, Mt. Blue was missing a player who senior Reese Nye called “the glue that holds us together.”

“It was hard for us to see in her pain like that, especially so early in her senior year, but we knew she was going to come back stronger, and she did,” said Nye, Adams’ best friend and a fellow captain. “She took what she learned from it and applied it back to her game and has improved even more.”

Although Adams admits she’s a bit more tired than usual following games as a result of missing preseason conditioning, she is completely pain-free. Her stamina will return with time, and after everything she’s experienced, Adams isn’t about to complain about what she can and can’t do.

“There was nothing I could do other than support my team and be positive, so I focused on that instead of being sad all the time,” Adams said. “Playing the sport and watching it are so different, so that taught me a lot. … It could have been so much worse, so like I said, I’ve just learned to be grateful.”