PORTLAND – When somebody is surveying a list on the web or whatever mechanism is available for perusing Maine high school sports archives 50 years from now, the cold, bold print won’t do the 2007 Telstar Regional High School field hockey team justice.

Foxcroft Academy gets to chalk up the Class C championship, and rightfully so, after summoning the finishing kick for a 4-2 triumph in a back-and-forth final on a cold, damp Tuesday evening at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Let the record show any future researchers who desire to dig deeper, though, that Telstar rates a special place in history and hearts for simply showing up for work under some of the most adverse circumstances imaginable.

Neither top-notch program had any reason to be in midseason form after two straight Saturday storms sandwiched 13 off days between the regional and state finals. And that broken momentum is nothing next to broken spirit. Telstar (17-1) fell just shy of its second Class C crown in four seasons only three days after the death of junior field hockey player Dorothy-Dawn “Dee-Dee” Palmer in an automobile accident.

“It’s been a really exciting season,” said Telstar coach Gail Wight said. “They’ve had a terrific year. They’re a great bunch to have. It’s just one of those things.”

Palmer’s funeral is Thursday.

The Rebels fought valiantly in her memory, battling back to tie the game in the second half and nearly duplicating that feat with a flurry of penalty corners and point-blank shots in the closing stages.

Instead, Sabrina Sharrow and Jennifer Gagnon each scored for the second time in the final 10 minutes of regulation to push the Ponies (16-2) to their first title since 1991.

Sharrow broke the tie with 9:26 remaining.

Foxcroft’s quick transition from defense to attack on the soaked but still lightning-quick artificial turf caught Telstar on its heels and led to Gagnon’s insurance goal with 1:20 to go.

“We knew they were a fast team that could score with corners and long hits, so we needed that reassurance,” Sharrow said. “We knew it was over after that goal. At least I did.”

Bailey Davis scored both goals for Telstar. She was one of several Rebels with a close but contested peek around Foxcroft goaltender Renee Maheu during a series of three consecutive corners while it was still 3-2.

Senior back Danika Brown alertly cleared a perilously loose ball after a Maheu kick save on Telstar’s second try. Maheu also got leather on the Rebels’ third attempt and earned a free hit for the Ponies with three minutes remaining.

Telstar enjoyed a modest edge in shots on goal (11-8) and a decided cushion in penalty corners (9-4), much of it coming as a result of the late fusillade. But extended stays in either offensive end were precious and few, with Foxcroft’s Brown and Telstar’s Vicki Rice and Trista Morin able to send the ball decisively downfield and out of harm’s way on the crisp, flat surface.

“We’re used to thick fields,” Brown said. “(Turf) makes a big difference in the passing game.”

Foxcroft boarded a bus and worked out at nearby Hampden Academy while working around the postponements.

“You could tell that they practiced on turf. It makes a huge difference,” said Wight. “It just reinforces the fact that you’ve really got to keep it on your stick. The size of the field’s fine. It’s a beautiful field to play on, but you really have to adjust to keeping it on your stick. You’ve got to keep possession of it.”

The Rebels parlayed a corner into their first (and best) shot of the opening half to grab a 1-0 lead at 14:45. Davis delivered the goal from the edge of the circle, Chelsea Bean assisting.

Gagnon answered at 19:41, also on a corner, courtesy of Molly Cyr.

Telstar was contained to three shots on goal before the break.

“They cut off the passes in the first half, and we adjusted better in the second half,” Wight said.

Sharrow, a sophomore, struck first at 1:56 of the second stanza on continuing action after yet another corner. Kelsey Boss collected the first of her two assists.

Davis needed fewer than six minutes to pull the Rebels even once more. And Telstar’s onslaught only intensified after Sharrow’s encore. Maheu made a majority of her nine saves in the final 10 minutes.

“They had some shots and just shot wide,” Wight said of her team. “They had the corners.”

Nine seniors, including eight starters, played their final game for Telstar. The Rebels were making their ninth appearance in a state championship game and their third since 2004.