PRESQUE ISLE — Ashland freshman forward Mackenzie Carter is used to playing on the left wing, but early in the first half of Wednesday’s Eastern Maine Class D championship game, coach Pete Belskis played a hunch and decided to change things up.
It was a move he’s glad he made. Carter’s goal with 25:01 left in the half was the only one of the match as the top-seeded Hornets defeated No. 2 Penobscot Valley High School of Howland 1-0 in a battle of 16-0 teams on the turf field at the Gehrig T. Johnson Athletic Complex.
“She hasn’t played on the right side all year, but I just didn’t like the chemistry that was going on where she was, and for the heck of it, I switched her over there,” Belskis said. “She has a terrific shot, and to beat a great goalie like [Penobscot Valley High School’s] Sami Ireland, you have to have a perfect shot and that’s what it took to win this game.”
Carter did connect on a beautiful shot — a 15-yard blast from the right side — which skimmed off the bottom of the cross bar and then caromed in off the left post.
It was the Hornets’ first regional title since 2007. The squad had reached the championship game five times since, but it came up empty each time. Ashland plays Western Maine champion Richmond in the state final at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in Hampden.
Much of the first 15 minutes of the game was back and forth, but 30 seconds before the goal, a steal by junior midfielder Caitlin Paradis set up the Hornets’ leading scorer, striker Marissa Chasse, for the team’s first quality chance.
She went wide right on her attempt, but after a goal kick, Paradis got the ball back and found Carter, who did the rest.
“I initially thought it was going to hit off the crossbar,” Carter said of her game-winner, “but it just kind of found its way in.
“I think we got a lot of adrenaline off that goal, and we really stepped up our game after that,” she said.
Ashland dominated the next 12 minutes and during that stretch had an excellent opportunity to grab a two-goal lead following a scramble in front of the goal off a corner kick. However, three point-blank shots were deflected by Howler defenders from inside the six-yard line before the ball was eventually cleared out.
“We knew they were quick, and we don’t play anybody that attacks that well and are as individually skilled as Ashland is,” said Howlers’ coach Ryan Reed.
After that flurry, Penobscot Valley High School settled down and was able to mount a few offensive attacks, but the Ashland defense held strong. Effective marking by junior fullback Laura Sturgeon, with help on the wings from Micayla Driscoll and Chelsea Vaillancourt and some big plays by sweeper back Cassidy Pelletier allowed the Hornets to record their 10th consecutive shutout — a streak that dates back to Sept. 18.
“I was impressed with our defense,” Paradis said. “There were some scary moments, but we held it together and stuck it out until the end.”
Ashland had averaged seven goals per game during its shutout streak, but players knew this one would be a low-scoring contest.
“I was nervous because we knew what was coming,” Paradis added. “We knew [Penobscot Valley High School] had a lot of skill, but we played with our hearts because we wanted it.”
Hornet freshman goalkeeper Megan Cote made two saves on five shots, while the Howlers’ Ireland had seven saves on 15 shots.