PITTSFIELD, Maine — It’s always good to score early in a playoff game.
That is exactly what the Maine Central Institute field hockey team did on Wednesday, receiving goals from freshman forward Victoria Friend and senior forward Kali Doiron in the first 5:47 en route to an impressive 4-0 triumph over Boothbay Region in their North Class C quarterfinal.
The second-seeded Huskies (11-4) host No. 3 Mount View of Thorndike (10-5) in Saturday’s 1 p.m. semifinal.
Sophomore forward Addi Williams made it 3-0 later in the first half and added another goal in the second half. Senior goalkeeper Mikayla Carr wound up with two saves on five shots.
Junior Erica Eames played well in defeat for the No. 7 Seahawks (7-8), making 13 saves on 31 shots.
“We really talked about how it is important to set that tone [early],” said MCI coach Nancy Hughes. “The longer we go without scoring, the more we let another team think that they’re in the game. We want to take them out of the game early.”
“Their speed and quickness set us back in the beginning, and it took us time to recover,” said Boothbay coach Donna Jordan. “We played a very good team today.”
“Their passing was very quick, and they came at us hard. They were the best team we’ve played this season. I was impressed,” said standout Boothbay senior center back Meghan Oakes.
“This was one of our best games of the season,” said Doiron. “We hustled to every ball and made sure we got there before they did.”
Friend opened the scoring just 3:20 into the game from close range.
“[Eames] made a save, and Kali hit it back through the goalie’s legs,” said Friend. “I knew I had to get my stick on the ground. It was a perfect angle.”
Doiron expanded the lead just 2:27 later by directing a Madisyn Hartley shot past Eames.
A nifty passing sequence involving April McAlpine, Friend and Hartley set up Doiron’s goal. Friend took a pass from McAlpine and sent it across to the right side to Hartley, whose powerful shot across the circle was directed in by Doiron.
“I was at my little place on the far post,” said Doiron.
Williams made it 3-0 with 1:29 left in the half as Allison Hughes’ shot from the top of the circle heeled off her stick and rolled to her.
“I took a big step back and hoped for the best. I aimed for the opposite corner,” grinned Williams, whose shot slipped past the right side of Eames.
Williams capped the scoring in the second half when she shoveled home a McAlpine rebound after McAlpine had made a scintillating run to get herself into a shooting lane.
Omnipresent senior sweeper Taylor Hall headlined MCI’s defensive effort, winning a lot of balls and dribbling out of danger before moving the ball up to the midfielders or forwards.
Oakes and dynamic sophomore forward Sydney Meader were standouts for the Seahawks.