CUMBERLAND—How closely matched are the teams in Class B South field hockey this fall?

Monday afternoon’s battle between the host Greely Rangers and the Gray-New Gloucester/North Yarmouth Academy Patriots was a perfect illustration.

That there’s very little separation.

In a game where more than 60 minutes was required, the visitors struck just 43 seconds in, on a goal from junior Greta Tod, but while the Rangers put a lot of shots on goal the rest of the first half, they were stopped cold by GNG/NYA junior goalie Sam Poulin.

Greely finally drew even early in the third quarter, when freshman Maya Tracey scored, but the Patriots answered on a long shot from senior Olivia Knudsen and took a 2-1 advantage to the fourth.

There, Tracey scored again, with 13:37 remaining, and for the rest of regulation, the Rangers tried and tried some more to go on top, but Poulin stood tall.

In the first of two potential eight-minute, “sudden victory” overtimes, Greely earned a pair of penalty corners and put multiple promising shots on frame, but Poulin stopped them all and with just 23.4 seconds left, off a penalty corner, junior Emma Bowden pounced on a loose ball and finished to give GNG/NYA a dramatic 3-2 victory.

Poulin saved 25 shots as the Patriots improved to 6-5-2 and in the process, snapped the Rangers’ three-game win streak and dropped them to 7-7 as their regular season came to a close.

“That’s the first time we’ve had overtime this season,” said Greely coach Burgess LePage. “We were ready for them, but they have great players and they come strong. They never gave up. They beat us to critical balls.”

Resurgence

Greely was optimistic about its chances coming into the season and after some early struggles, the Rangers have certainly saved their best for last.

After beating visiting St. Dom’s (4-1) in the opener, Greely lost at home to Lake Region (5-3). After a 3-0 win at Wells, the Rangers lost at Yarmouth (2-0), at home to Freeport (6-1) and at York (1-0) before bouncing back to blank visiting Fryeburg Academy (2-0). After a 4-2 loss at Cape Elizabeth, Greely went to Naples and eked out a 1-0 victory over Lake Region before falling at Freeport (7-0). The Rangers then turned the corner for good, blanking visiting Cape Elizabeth (1-0), holding off host Poland (3-2), then dominating visiting Traip Academy (10-1).

GNG/NYA sandwiched wins over Wells (9-1) and St. Dom’s (4-0) around a 2-1 (overtime) loss to Cape Elizabeth. The squad then lost to Lake Region (2-0), York (1-0) and Yarmouth (6-1) before downing Traip Academy (6-0) and Edward Little (3-1). After tying Fryeburg Academy (3-3) and Oak Hill (0-0), GNG/NYA lost to Freeport (4-0) and downed Poland (3-1).

Last year, the teams settled for a 1-1 tie.

Monday, on a dreary, drizzly and chilly afternoon (just 53 degrees at the start), Greely looked to cap its first winning season since 2018, but instead, the Patriots did just enough to prevail.

GNG/NYA couldn’t have asked for a better start, as it opened the game with possession, moved the ball up the field and just 43 seconds in, after Greely junior goalie Mya Vickerson played a long shot, but couldn’t clear it, Tod pounced and rattled the cage for a quick 1-0 advantage.

The Patriots tried to add to their lead, but Knudsen missed just wide on a corner, Vickerson saved a shot from freshman Kenlie Nadeau, then Knudsen hit the far post on a shot off another corner.

The Rangers came to life in the second period, but wound up with nothing to show for it.

First, Poulin made her presence felt by denying senior Leyla Rabbat, senior Rachel Miles and sophomore Anna Hendry in succession off a corner.

Poulin then robbed senior Julia Brubaker and Rabbat was just wide on a good opportunity.

Late in the first half, Vickerson kept the deficit at one by saving a shot from senior Amelia Bowie in transition.

Greely continued to be frustrated when the second half commenced, as Rabbat’s back-handed bid was denied by Poulin, then Hendry fired a shot through traffic, only to have Poulin kick it away.

Then, with 12:38 on the clock, the Rangers finally broke through, as Tracey scored on a rebound in traffic off a corner to make it 1-1.

After Vickerson denied Knudsen, Knudsen put the Patriots back in front with 2:14 left in the third period, getting the ball from Bowden off a corner and firing a long shot past the goalie and into the cage.

GNG/NYA took a 2-1 advantage to the fourth quarter, but couldn’t hold it.

Just 83 seconds in, again off a corner, Tracey again pounced on a rebound and buried it to tie the score for the second time.

Down the stretch in regulation, Greely had chances to win it, but Miles missed just wide, Hendry was just wide off a corner and the Rangers earned a penalty corner after time expired, but couldn’t manage a shot, sending the contest to overtime.

There, Greely came out on fire and had multiple chances to prevail, but Poulin robbed Hendry, then off a corner, she turned aside bids from Hendry and senior Lauren Hazard.

After Knudsen and Nadeau each hit the side of the cage, the Patriots earned a corner with 35 seconds left in the first OT and it resulted in the game-ending play.

Bowden, the inserter, eventually got the ball back when it wasn’t cleared and with just 23.4 seconds showing, tapped it past Vickerson and in to give GNG/NYA a dramatic 3-2 victory.

“I was just there and I just touched the ball,” Bowden said. “It was honestly my teammates doing all the work. It felt great. We had little time left and we had to get it in. We gave it our all. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s very stressful. This win means a lot. Greely’s a good team, but we needed this. We had to work together. It feels really good to get a win like this, especially this late in the season.”

“She was just in the right place at the right time, which is typical of how Emma plays,” said GNG/NYA coach Julia Leary. “It was a great game, very well-matched. It’s a big win for us.”

Greely finished with a 27-10 advantage in shots, a 16-12 edge in corners and got seven saves from Vickerson, but fell just short.

“That first goal was kind of out of nowhere and it threw us off a bit, but we came back and I’m proud of the girls for that,” LePage said. “We had a little bit of an off-day defensively. Usually we’re on. We’ll work those kinks out going forward. We got so close, but we couldn’t get the ball in the goal.

“Our regular season was great. We had some setbacks, two season-ending injuries, and we had to adjust. Our depth revealed itself. I’m proud that we pushed through. Playing a calm game has defined us. Our motto is, ‘Calm in our end and chaos in theirs.'”

Poulin stole the show for the Patriots with a whopping 25 saves.

“Sam is great,” said Bowden. “I have a lot of faith in her. She’s made so many saves this season. She’s a great goalie and we can always trust her.”

“She’s having the season of her life,” Leary said. “She makes these unbelievable saves and she makes so many of them every single game. She’s doing a fantastic job and she’s only a junior, which is even better for us.”

Time to make a run

GNG/NYA (which is in the No. 7 spot in the Class B South Heal Points standings at press time) closes at Oxford Hills Tuesday and hopes to still move up.

“I think we’re an underestimated team, but I think we have a good chance,” said Bowden. “It’s all mindset for us. I think we have a good chance.”

“We hope we can still move up,” said Leary. “There have been some crazy upsets this season, so anything can happen. I hope we can carry this momentum into the playoffs. It should put us in a good position going in.”

Greely was clinging to the No. 6 spot in Class B South at press time.

“Getting in (the playoffs) was the first goal,” LePage said. “We need to believe that any team can win (the regional title) and that we can be that team. We have to make sure that belief spreads and we’ll use that to propel us. We’ve had a lack of belief the last few years, but the seniors believe and push everybody on. Once we really cement that belief, we’ll propel it forward. We’re excited. It’s going to be fun.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. For game updates and links to game stories, follow him on Threads: @foresports2023

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