North Yarmouth Academy sophomore Emelia McKenney plays the ball past midfield as a pair of Yarmouth defenders give chase in the Clippers’ 5-0 victory Friday.
YARMOUTH—For four seasons earlier this decade, Tracy Quimby stalked the sidelines at Lewis Field as North Yarmouth Academy’s field hockey coach.
Friday afternoon, Quimby returned, this time as the second-year coach of the Yarmouth Clippers and it’s fair to say it was a triumphant homecoming.
After avoiding an early scare on an NYA corner, the Clippers went on top in the game’s seventh minute, as junior Abby Hill scored.
Yarmouth wasn’t able to add to its lead until midway through the second half, when it tacked on four more goals in quick succession.
After two goals from sophomore Cat Jordan, junior Lizzie Guertler and junior Samantha Bailey also got in on the scoring fun and the Clippers went on to a 5-0 victory.
Yarmouth improved to 2-2 on the young season and dropped the Panthers to 1-3 in the process.
“t felt good to be back here,” said Quimby, who went 53-15-1 and won two regional titles and one state championship in her time with NYA. “I love the new turf. I have a lot of good memories here.”
Making progress
Each team lost in its respective quarterfinal round a year ago and came into the 2019 campaign optimistic.
Yarmouth sandwiched 3-0 losses at Lake Region and at home to York around a 2-1 victory at Cape Elizabeth to start the year.
NYA opened with setbacks at Poland (4-0) and at home to Cape Elizabeth (2-1), then got in the win column Wednesday at home over Wells, 4-2.
Last fall, the teams played in Yarmouth with the Clippers eking out a 3-2 victory.
Friday, on a sunny, 63-degree afternoon, NYA looked for its first victory over Yarmouth since a 2-1 overtime decision Oct. 3, 2014, but instead, the Clippers made it three in a row and four out of five in the series.
Just 21 seconds in, Yarmouth looked to go on top, but junior Hannah Swift was denied by Panthers standout senior goalie Eliza Tod.
NYA then transitioned to offense and earned a penalty corner. The Panthers got a good look on goal on a shot from eighth grader Brynn McKenney, but it was denied by Clippers sophomore Cassie Walsh.
And from there, Yarmouth dominated.
With 23:21 to go in the first half, Hill finished to put the Clippers on top to stay.
Despite holding a 7-1 shots advantage and taking four penalty corners, Yarmouth couldn’t add to its lead before halftime, as Tod saved shots from sophomore Ari Rustad and Swift.
“Eliza has done a phenomenal job in the cage again for us this year,” NYA coach Annika King said. “She communicates with the defenders. She just does a great job.”
Tod continued to keep her team in the game early in the second half, making saves on a pair of shots from junior Winifred Leahy.
Then, with 17:51 remaining, Jordan redirected Guertler’s shot past Tod and into the cage to double the lead.
NYA had an opportunity to answer as it got a penalty corner, but a shot from sophomore Emelia McKenney was saved by Walsh and the Clippers returned to their scoring ways.
With 11:07 showing, Jordan scored for the second time, with junior Anna Pires getting the assist.
With 5:31 to go, off a penalty corner, Guertler scored on a rebound.
Then, with just 2:14 remaining, Bailey rebounded her own shot past Tod and Yarmouth went on to a 5-0 victory.
“We tried a couple different things and the girls liked a different formation we tried,” Quimby. “We got a lot of players in. We just have to get in the circle and get shots off as quickly as possible. It’s been up-and-down this year, but we’ve already played two of the best teams, Lake Region and York.”
The Clippers had a 25-2 advantage in shots on frame, got two saves from Walsh and took a dozen saves to NYA’s two.
The Panthers got 20 saves from Tod.
“We try to utilize the talent we have,” King said. “One thing about our group is that they work hard until the very end. They’ve done a great job all season and we’re moving forward.”
Fits and starts
NYA returns to action Thursday of next week at Gray-New Gloucester.
“Overall, we’ve done well,” King said. “We’re taking it day by day. We have a couple rest days before we get going again next week.”
Yarmouth is also idle until Thursday, when it plays at Greely. A home showdown versus Freeport Saturday of next week follows.
“We’re a work in progress,” Quimby said. “We have some tough teams coming up. There aren’t any easy teams on our schedule this year.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.
Recent Yarmouth-NYA results
2018
@ Yarmouth 3 NYA 2
2017
Yarmouth 6 @ NYA 1
2014
@ Yarmouth 2 NYA 1
@ NYA 2 Yarmouth 1 (OT)
2013
@ NYA 2 Yarmouth 1 (2 OT)
NYA 1 @ Yarmouth 0
Western C semifinals
@ NYA 2 Yarmouth 0
2006
@ NYA 3 Yarmouth 2 (2 OT)
2005
@ Yarmouth 4 NYA 4 (tie)
2001
@ Yarmouth 1 NYA 1 (tie)
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