Skowhegan has successfully blended those ingredients with equal parts heart and drive for the better part of two decades, and parlayed them into 12 state titles in the past 14 years.
Saturday, the Indians added lucky No. 13.
Brooke Michonski led the charge in the first half, sending two goals off the planks behind Thornton Academy goalie Isabella Capozzi to lift Skowhegan past the Golden Trojans, 3-1 on Morse Field at Harold Alfond Stadium at the University of Maine at Orono.
“They play a really fast game, they switch the position across the field quickly, so that causes you to run more and tire out quicker,” Thornton Academy coach Lorali Smith said. “We don’t play a team that transitions across the field as quickly. They are just fundamentally sound.”
The Indians (15-2) have developed such a standard of excellence that a regular season in which they lost just two games had some observers questioning whether their stranglehold on the Northern Maine region — Skowhegan has won 15 consecutive regional titles — was over.
Messalonskee, long a close “1A” to Skowhegan in the region, defeated the Indians twice this season, and finished unbeaten in conference play. But in the regional final, Skowhegan pulled out an overtime win over the Eagles to return to the state game.
“We played the best game ever,” Doughty said.
Saturday, the Indians dominated play from the beginning. The Trojans managed only two or three rushes into the offensive zone, and while the early play was confined between the 25-yard lines, Skowhegan started putting the pressure on through the middle of the half.
Michonski startled Capozzi on her first goal, with 15:39 to play in the opening frame. The ball came into the circle on a long drive from about 25 yards, and appeared destined for an innocuous run wide, but the ball tipped off a player high in the circle, making it a live ball in front of the cage. Michonski took the ball off the pads of the keeper and stuffed it in for a 1-0 lead.
The goal ignited the Indians’ offense, which forced six penalty corners and generated seven shots in the first half.
Michonski added to the lead on another burst through the circle with 2:11 to play in the half, this time dodging the goalie from inside the stroke line.
“Brooke is one of those players, she just stays so calm,” Doughty said. “She’s just so reserved, and she gets the job done. She came through for us today.”
It took Thornton Academy 18:32 into the second half to generate its first shot on goal of the game, but the Trojans made it count. Taylor Ouellette swatted a rebound off Skowhegan keeper Leah Kruse’s pads and into the cage on an original shot by Libby Pomerleau to pull the Class A South champs within one.
Lauren LeBlanc restored the two-goal cushion with 6:45 to play in regulation to cap the scoring.
“This team is a mix of youth and experience,” Doughty said. “All year long, it’s been a struggle to get those two together and keep their nerves, and today, I thought the seniors came through.”
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