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HAMPDEN — Twenty players on the 2025 Skowhegan field hockey remember the hurt of losing a regional championship streak that began before they were born.

Those players weren’t going to settle for anything less than regaining the crown in this season — and after a show of might on the regional championship stage, the River Hawks are back on top of Class A North.

Skowhegan rolled to a 3-0 victory over Mt. Ararat in in the regional title game at Hampden Academy on Thursday. The win sends the River Hawks, whose streak of 22 straight regional titles was snapped by Brewer in last year’s regional final, to Class A state championship against Cheverus on Saturday at Lewiston High School.

“On the way back (from last year’s loss to Brewer), we just said, ‘We’re going to put it back together,’” said Skowhegan coach Paula Doughty. “These girls worked really hard to get back here, and that’s what they’ve done.”

Dasia Alberico scored twice for Skowhegan, which also got a goal from Grace Mayo. Skowhegan scored all three goals in the second half after Mt. Ararat withstood an onslaught from the River Hawks in the first.

Top-seeded Skowhegan (15-0-2) largely controlled the first quarter, but had no goals to show for it as the Mt. Ararat defense held strong. Then, with 11 minutes left in the half, the River Hawks’ Faith Pease had a goal disallowed when the ball went off a teammate’s leg off a penalty corner. 

Skowhegan came close with four minutes left in the first half when Mayo ripped a shot that Mt. Ararat’s Kamryn Chase stopped on the line.

Then, with 12:21 left in the third quarter, Skowhegan found the breakthrough as Alberico looped a shot over the No. 2 Mt. Ararat (12-3-2) defense and past goalie Jaymie Bergman.

“Kaitlyn (Dufour) passed it up, and I was just in the right spot to tip it in,” Alberico said. “We worked on those in practice, just one-timing them. I saw the goalie come out, and I knew I had to go over her. It was a perfect pass up, and I just was able to get it in.”

Just three minutes later, Skowhegan was awarded a penalty stroke, which Mayo buried between Bergman’s legs to double the River Hawks’ advantage. Alberico then rounded out the scoring with her second goal, another looping shot past Bergman, with 12:43 to play in the game.

Mt. Ararat did get two shots on goal late in the fourth quarter, but on both occasions Skowhegan goalie Michelle Williams stood tall. Doughty has praised the freshman, who is new to the position this year, as one of the team’s unsung heroes.

“That’s a kid that’s 14 years old, and she had never played goalie until July,” Doughty said. “She didn’t allow a single goal for us all three (regional tournament) games. She is a magnificent, magnificent goalie.”

Mt. Ararat’s two attempts on goal in the fourth quarter were its only shots on target all game. Bergman made six saves for the Eagles, who were outshot 9-2. Skowhegan had six penalty corners to Mt. Ararat’s zero.

This was a Northern Maine championship battle between two underclassman-heavy teams. Skowhegan has just two seniors, Alberico and Mayo, and Mt. Ararat had just one, Lily Ouellette. Eagles coach Krista Chase was proud of how far her young squad came.

“Nobody would’ve expected us to get here this year, including myself, so it’s just a testament to the work ethic and the nature of this group,” Chase said. “Our team motto this year was ‘Raise the bar,’ and they raised the bar.”

Mt. Ararat had given Skowhegan one of its only blemishes this season when it tied the River Hawks 2-2 on Oct. 13 in Topsham. Mayo said that contest helped rejuvenate Skowhegan, which has outscored foes 17-1 in the four games since.

Now, Skowhegan gets a date with Cheverus in the state title game. It’s the fourth time in five years that the River Hawks and Stags have met in the Class A final, and Mayo and Alberico are hoping to finish their careers by dethroning the reigning champs.

“To come this far, it’s a great feeling,” Alberico said. “We’re here for the gold, so we’re going to practice everything we need to work on, and we’ll be ready for Saturday.”