RUMFORD – The Mountain Valley field hockey team already needed a shot in the arm this early in the season.
The Falcons discovered the importance of playing together and maintained their intensity level throughout the entire game at Hosmer Field on Wednesday.
Mountain Valley midfielder Emily Child set up three goals, including the eventual winner by Lauren LePage, en route to a 4-1 a win against arch-rival Dirigo.
There were some unanswered questions entering the game because each team had experienced mixed results in their season-openers. Dirigo had shut out Georges Valley 4-0, while the Falcons lost to Hall Dale.
“This was a big win,” Mountain Valley coach Melissa Forbes said. “The girls needed this, and it gives them an ego boost. A key was working well, and the next thing was being able to convince them that it would work.”
Mountain Valley took the lead for good 4:18 in to the second half when LePage one timed a shot past Cougar goalie Courtney Knox. The Falcons were out on the offensive, and Child drew Knox out and then flipped a pass over to LePage on the left wing.
Dirigo had begun playing a defensive game, and the constant back pedaling proved costly. Child dribbled past several players down the right side and advanced the ball to Shawnee Akers, who drilled it into the far side with 8:45 left in the first half.
Dirigo was awarded three penalty corners, and senior Sam Webster shot the ball across the crease, but Child cleared the ball away.
“We just kept shooting the ball,” Akers said. “I don’t think about it myself (critical situations) when I’m out there. It just comes to me.”
Dirigo wasn’t able to generate any offense in the first third of the second half, but Ricki Sinclair and Katrina Pulk helped reverse the trend. The Cougars moved the ball, and Katie Waite scored on a pass by freshman Hannah Knight at 17:52.
The final outcome was still in doubt. The Falcons called a timeout midway to regroup, and it led to two goals in the final eight minutes. Katie Druin scored and then assisted on Akers’ second goal.
“During halftime, the girls recognized some thing,” Forbes said. “They noticed that the Dirigo goalie would come out of the cage standing up. So we adjusted our shots, and it paid off. My midfield did a good job, and Stephaine Beadle stood out at left wing.”
Mountain Valley had a 20-to-4 advantage on shots.
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