Field hockey: Leavitt runs over Waterville in Homecoming win

In the rain.

During Homecoming festivities.

There was no letdown for the Leavitt Area High School field hockey team Saturday.

Sadie Royer and Ashley Mathieu scored twice each and Emma Martineau drove home another as the Hornets ran by Waterville 5-1 in damp and drizzly KVAC matchup.

“We came out like we wanted to play, and that was good to see,” Leavitt coach Wanda Ward-McLean said. “It’s not always that way on a Saturday morning.”

The Hornets would be just fine, thank you.

Among the 14 shots the home team directed at the cage in the opening half were four goals, each scored in a different manner, and each the result of persistence through the midfield and in the circle.

“The first half, we were making a lot of passes, cutting to the ball,” Ward-McLean said.

Mathieu secured her own rebound after a pair of good saves by Waterville keeper Caitlin White and finished for a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute. She added a second less than three minutes later, this time rushing through the circle and beating White, who overextended to her left on a free ball.

Royer was next to join the scoresheet, redirecting a ball on a drive from Chantel Eells past White’s pads inside the stroke line.

“It shows how much we play together as a team,” Royer said. “That’s about always trusting a person to be there for the tips.”

Martineau pounded the ball into the back of the cage at the 10:56 mark of the first half to make it 4-0.

The Purple Panthers (0-11) got one back in the seventh minute of the second half on a penalty corner. Junior Sara Sack finished a feed from Kate Lopes on the first and second (and only) shots of the game for the visitors.

“We’re a very young team, we don’t have a lot of opportunities,” Waterville coach Ashley Pullen said. “We were very happy to come off with a couple of corners and a couple of scoring opportunities.”

The goal fired the Hornets back up, though. Royer added her second less than six minutes later to cap the scoring, dribbling through the midfield and into the circle before firing a rocket past Waterville’s second keeper, Coby Dangler.

“After they scored, it kind of brought us down a little bit, but after that timeout we seemed to bring it together more. Controlling the ball was the first things I was trying to do (on the goal). I wanted to try and keep it on my strong side as much as possible, otherwise I might lose it.”

White finished with 10 saves and Dangler added 11 more in a solid effort between the pipes for both keepers.

“They’re used to it, they’re very used to the pressure,” Pullen said. “They did really well today.”

Leavitt (8-3-1) finishes the season with a pair of games against top Class B contenders Spruce Mountain (Thursday) and Oceanside (Tuesday, Oct. 14).

“Those will be two good games coming up,” Ward-McLean said. “Spruce is always a tough team, and of course Oceanside here, that will be senior day so it will be emotional for the kids, too.”

: Leavitt Area High School’s Ashley Mathieu (8) pushes the ball into the cage for the Hornets’ first goal of the game in Turner Saturday against Waterville. Mathieu scored twice in the game and Leavitt won, 5-1.

: Leavitt Area High School’s Sadie Royer, left, reaches for a ball with Waterville High School’s Elyssa Giguire during their game in Turner on Saturday.

: Leavitt Area High School’s Emma Martineau fires the ball on goal during a game against Waterville on Saturday in Turner.

: Waterville goalie Caitlin White tries to make a save on the ball during a game against Leavitt Area High School in Turner on Saturday. The ball went through her legs, hit the post and richocheted wide.

: Leavitt Area High School’s Alivia Bubier, right, controls the ball in front of Waterville High School’s Elyssa Giguire during their game in Turner on Saturday.