By Kalle Oakes

Staff Writer

TURNER — Who needs regulation?

The referee’s extended whistle that ends a traditional, 60-minute field hockey game and signals the start of overtime is music to the Leavitt Area High School team’s ears this season.

“It seems like all we do is play overtime lately,” said Leavitt coach Wanda Ward-MacLean. “We had Maranacook and Belfast (in the last week of the regular season), both overtime, and we won both of those.”

Leavitt cashed another time-and-a-half check in the Western Class B quarterfinals Tuesday. Senior co-captain Heidi Swett scored her second goal of the afternoon with 6:13 remaining inthe second overtime off a blistering pass from Brianna Dostie, giving the No. 3 Hornets a 2-1 triumph over No. 6 Lake Region.

Dostie scorched a knee-high hit from the far, right side of the field. The height and depth of the junior’s offering seemed to catch the Lakers’ defense by surprise, leaving Swett unguarded in a one-on-one confrontation with Lake Region goalkeeper Amy Tragert.

“That was such a hard hit, and I kind of touched it in,” said Swett. “It was a nice shot by Bri. That would have gone 10 miles if I hadn’t touched it.”

Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference power Leavitt (12-3) ousted Western Maine Conference mainstay Lake

Region (9-5-1) from the regional playoffs for the second straight year. The Hornets advanced to a Saturday semifinal against Greely or Mountain Valley.

Swett also scored in the sixth minute of the game on a similar deflection, redirecting Megan Miller’s free hit from just outside the upper edge of the circle.

Lake Region rode momentum from there, finally notching the equalizer on its fifth penalty corner of the afternoon at 14:13 of the second half. Jess Corson made the initial stroke from the back line and also registered the assist, receiving the ball back from Julia Davis and feeding Corey Lynn Morton in front.

The Hornets, meanwhile, mustered only two shots on goal in the entire second half. But both the familiarity and the wide-open nature of overtime played into their hands.

Four players are removed from the equation for each team in the two, eight-minute periods. The seven-on-seven setup was a welcome opportunity for a Leavitt front line stacked with playmakers.

“We’ve some pretty skilled players and good team speed, and we can (substitute) when a lot of teams don’t sub a lot to keep our kids fresh. And it shows,” said Ward-MacLean. “A lot of our kids can make the play independently without having to make the pass. They have good, individual skills.”

With penalty corners looming as a last resort if neither team could convert in bonus time, Leavitt dominated play.

Courtney Erskine and Rachel Doiron each had a point-blank bid to send everyone home in the first overtime. It took a heady defensive save by Lake Region’s Rachel Ferland to deny Erskine.

“We’re definitely fast, and having fewer people on the field definitely helps with our passing and our movement,” Swett said.

Just before she snapped the tie, Swett uncorked an off-balance shot from the left that Tragert (nine saves) barely reached, kicking it perilously wide right and over the end line. Extended play after the ensuing long hit produced the game-winner.

This year’s topsy-turvy KVAC and WMC chases prepared the familiar postseason foes perfectly for a game that almost went the distance.

“Belfast, in the past, has been up there and York has been up there. Now they’re both down and everyone else is just beating up on each other,” Ward-MacLean said. “It’s anybody’s game, every day.”