The Mt. Ararat and Morse field hockey teams met Wednesday at McMann Field in Bath. Eli Canfield/The Times Record
BATH — It had been awhile — almost a year actually — before the Mt. Ararat field hockey team played a competitive game.
That finally changed Wednesday when the Eagles ventured to McMann Field to play Morse.
As season openers go, particularly in different year during a pandemic, it was a successful star for the Eagles, who pulled out a 5-2 victory.
“This was our first game since October,” said Mt. Ararat head coach Krista Chase, whose team reached the Class A North semifinals last season. “We hadn’t played on turf in over a year.”
MTA was scheduled to open its season last week against North Yarmouth Academy, but the game got postponed.
The Shipbuilders, who play in Class B, played their second game of the fall — and this one came against a realtively unknown Class A opponent.
“Much like the rest of this year, it was really an unknown,” said Morse coach Kerri Reno. “Usually we see Mt. Ararat in the summer programs, but this year was obviously different. As much as I thought we were prepared for them, we really can’t be prepared for anything this season.”
Paige Witwicki of Mt. Ararat, left, dribbles past a Morse defender during a game Wednesday in Bath. Eli Canfield/Times Record
Added Chase: “I don’t really care who we play against. It’s nice to get to know and see other teams play that we don’t really ever get to play against.”
Morse and Mt. Ararat players said after the game it was great to face each other.
“We have been staying positive and having fun,” said Morse senior Kailah Malcolm. “It feels good to be out here, especially for my senior year.”
“It’s nice to see girls on Mt. Ararat that I play with in the offseason,” added Morse junior Lily Clifford.
Mt. Ararat senior Hannah Huston said she was familiar with a few Morse players.
“I have played with a few of the Morse players over the summer, so it was nice to see them,” she said. “Obviously, it’s not under the best circumstances, but it’s cool we get to play teams more personally.”
It was a nice change for both teams to be playing against some new, but familiar faces.
“It was fun to see some Morse players that we saw in the summer, and to see where they have gone from then until now,” said Mt. Ararat senior Belle Hemond.
The Eagles jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first quarter, behind goals from Lily Koslosky and Huston.
Lillian Pomerleau of Morse, left, pushes the ball up field Wednesday in Bath. Times Record/Eli Canfield
Perhaps the highlight of the game came in the first, when Morse defender Sophie Barber blocked a shot on the goal line that had beaten goalie Gracie Hawkes.
Morse struck back quickly toward the end of the first, both coming off the stick of sophomore Dylan Barr.
The Eagles added two more goals — from from Hemond and Koslosky — to pull away.
“It was a great feeling to watch them play, I have been waiting for this day for a long time,” said Chase.
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