HAMPDEN, Maine — Throughout the second half, Belfast kept top-seeded Gardiner pinned in its own end, fending off repeated challenges.
Despite some quality scoring chances, the No. 7 Lions could not get the ball into the cage.
Once the game went into overtime, it was the Tigers who were able to get back on the attack Thursday night.
Nickyia Lovely pounced on the rebound of a shot by younger sister Hailee Lovely and fired the ball into the lower left-hand corner of the cage with 2:22 left in the first extra period, lifting Gardiner to a 1-0 victory in the Eastern Maine Class B field hockey championship game at Hampden Academy.
“My sister actually deflected it after she hit the ball, and it came out to me and I was like, ‘OK, I might as well shoot it,’” said Nickyia Lovely. “It went in, and the adrenaline was so awesome.”
Coach Sharon Gallant’s Tigers (15-1-1) advance to Saturday’s Class B championship game against Western Maine titleist York, a 4-0 winner over Spruce Mountain of Jay/Livermore Falls.
Belfast (9-8) tilted the field in the second half with an aggressive attack. Coach Jan Holmes Jackson’s Lions got off four shots on goal and were awarded eight penalty corners after intermission.
“It’s one of those games, you can shoot all day, but if it doesn’t go in, you don’t win,” Holmes Jackson said.
“I’m so pleased. We were seventh, had to beat No. 2 [Camden Hills] and we had No. 1 on the ropes and we outplayed them in the second [half], for sure,” she added.
Gardiner, which beat Belfast 3-0 on Oct. 7, demonstrated urgency in overtime, during which teams utilize only seven players.
On the winner, Hailee Lovely hit a long shot that was kicked out by Belfast goalie Maddie Littlefield (5 saves), but Nickyia Lovely pounced on the rebound.
“It could have gone either way,” Nickyia Lovely said. “Seven v. seven, there’s so much more space, and really it’s just a passing game. Our team really came together at that point.”
It was Gardiner’s fourth regional field hockey title overall and its first since 2009, when it beat York for the state championship.
“It’s amazing. We’ve wanted it, but I never imagined we’d get here,” said and emotional senior midfielder Abi Dyer. “We became a team this year.”
Dyer’s powerful hits and hard-charging style helped spark the Tigers in the first half, during which they put four shots on the Belfast goal and hammered a few others wide.
Hailee Lovely also was involved in a few of Gardiner’s offensive threats.
However, Littlefield made three excellent stops with her pads and was aided by a defensive save. Senior center back Casey Thayer was outstanding all night to help the Lions survive six penalty corners.
Belfast reversed the trend in the second half. Less than three minutes in, Thayer’s blast on a penalty corner was kicked away by Gardiner goalie Olivia Philbrook (four saves).
At the 12-minute mark, Anna Baiungo fed Simone Pelletier for a 6-yard shot that hit the left goalpost. The Lions couldn’t find the rebound for a follow-up.
“We had some really close calls, just couldn’t quite finish,” Holmes Jackson said.
Later, Kelci Faulkingham tipped a shot in front, but Philbrook made a nifty pad save.
“Their offense was really getting to us,” Nickyia Lovely said.
Belfast’s final penalty corner came with 35 seconds left in regulation, but Thayer slammed a shot just wide of the post.
Midfielders Sarah Morgan and Madison Beaulieu, along with sweepers Emily Michaud and Mikayla Bourassa were solid for Gardiner.
Belfast also got strong play from right inner Kylie Nelson, midfielder Brittany Littlefield and backs Lindsay Blood and Madison Pickering.