WINTHROP — Failing to convert a penalty stroke in field hockey is not much different from letting a five-foot golf putt slide two inches to the right. Or in real world terms, forgetting to send in that cell phone receipt for the rebate until one day after the deadline.

Either miscue is forgivable and understandable in an imperfect world, but it doesn’t stop you from kicking yourself over it.

Hence, the scowl on Erin Gats’ face and the steam escaping from her ears after the Spruce Mountain High School junior missed out on a chance to tie Wednesday’s game at Winthrop with eight minutes remaining in regulation.

“I was mad,” Gats said, “Really mad at myself for shooting it right at the goalie.”

Spruce Mountain enjoyed its reprieve almost immediately, when Rachel Calden notched the equalizer. And Gats got her do-over when her tip-in with 19 seconds remaining capped a furious rally and kept the Phoenix undefeated with a 2-1 MVC victory.

“We had some different players step up at the end,” Spruce Mountain co-coach Julia Parker said. “Erin Gats struggled at the end, and the girl practices strokes all the time. She was pretty bummed at that, so it was good to see her come back.”

Kathryn Ventrella assisted Calden’s goal. It resulted from the continuing action off a free hit after Alyssa Arsenault stopped Gats’ uncontested bid with her blocker.

Gats redirected a shot by Victoria Ouellette for the game-winner.

Spruce Mountain (9-0) remained the only unbeaten team in both the conference and in Western Class B. Class C Winthrop (7-2-1) has absorbed both of its losses against Spruce, including a 4-3 overtime verdict in Jay three weeks ago.

“They brought their A-game today. They were on. They looked good,” Spruce Mountain co-coach Jane DiPompo said. “We had our doubts for a long time. We have more than a lot of respect for their program over the years. We knew they were going to come at us.”

Winthrop scored in the 12th minute against a Spruce Mountain defense that shut out five of its first eight opponents. And the Phoenix, who entered the game having scored 26 goals, didn’t put a single shot on the cage in the first half.

Shauna Carlson provided the Winthrop lead, Lauren Kaiser assisting.

“They had a lot of stake. We expected them to come out harder (in the second half). We had our opportunities in the second half too,” Winthrop coach Sharon Coulton said. “I’m just very proud of the way my girls played today.”

Spruce Mountain seized control by switching up its offensive alignments. The Phoenix transitioned from a 4-2 alignment to a 3-3 to start the second half, helping themselves win more contested balls in the midfield.

“Then we went back to a 4-2, and it got us the goals,” DiPompo said.

Arsenault stopped three shots in quick succession to deny Spruce Mountain’s initial rush to break the shutout. She illegally stopped the ball with her goalie equipment, however, resulting in the penalty stroke.

Gats took a stroke earlier in the season against St. Dom’s.

“I missed,” she said. “In games it hasn’t gone so well.”

Calden redirected Ventrella’s shot to finally solve the Rambler riddle.

Arsenault (nine saves) and defenders Nikki Burgess and Jessica Scott snuffed out numerous Phoenix opportunities prior to the breakthrough.

“I just started rushing. I was really nervous, but I knew we could pull it out,” Calden said. “The first one was overtime, and I knew this was going to be a hard game. We just had to work harder and harder.”

Winthrop wasn’t done. The Ramblers put only one shot on Spruce Mountain goalkeeper Ashlee Quirrion in the second half, but other defenders stepped in to lighten her workload.

“Emily Taylor made huge stops for us,” Parker said.

Spruce Mountain’s Micaela Baron, Tayla Knapp and LaDesta Tracy were among those responsible for winning individual battles and reducing scoring threats.

One of those changes of direction led to Gats’ redemption in the frenzied final minute.

“It was kind of an adrenaline rush,” Gats said. “I was just thinking, ‘I need to get it in the goal. Someone needs to get a goal.’ I don’t even know. It just kind of happened.”

koakes@sunjournal.com

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