ORONO, Maine — The Skowhegan High School Indians, after surviving a Messalonskee onslaught to beat the Eagles 2-1 in overtime in the Class A North final, wasted little time flexing their muscles against Thornton Academy in Saturday’s state field hockey final.
The Indians received a pair of first-half goals from senior forward Brooke Michonski and didn’t allow a shot on goal until Taylor Ouellette converted a Libby Pomerleau rebound with 11:28 remaining in regulation en route to a 3-1 triumph.
Senior midfielder Lauren LeBlanc iced the win by scoring 4:43 after Ouellette’s goal.
Skowhegan outshot Thornton Academy 23-5.
Skowhegan wound up 16-2 while TA finished at 15-3.
Leah Kruse made one save for Skowhegan while Isabella Capozzi wound up with seven for Thornton Academy.
It was Skowhegan’s 13th state title in 15 years and 16th overall.
Thornton Academy was making its first appearance in a state championship game.
Skowhegan carried the play for virtually the whole game, attempting 13 shots in the first half to Thornton Academy’s one.
They prevented Thornton Academy from generating any kind of attack by swarming the ball and making stick tackles all over the field which led to transition opportunities.
Michonski opened the scoring with 15:39 left in the first half when Maliea Kelso served a long diagonal ball into the penalty circle and she ran on to it before tapping it to her right and sliding an eight-yard shot through Capozzi.
“(Kelso’s pass) deflected off my stick a little and I hit it through the goalie’s legs,” said Michonski.
She expanded the lead with 2:11 remaining in the half.
Michonski pounced on the ball during a scramble in the circle and maneuvered past Capozzi before tucking it into the empty net.
“We had been working on one-on-ones in practice,” said Michonski. “I knew I had to pull it around the goalie and I was able to put it to my right to get it around her and shoot it into the corner.”
Michonski said she and teammates felt “we had to come out strong. We attacked and went right after it.”
“We came together today. We really connected,” said Skowhegan junior midfielder Kealey Bowman. “We were very aggressive. We wanted to win so bad. We deserved this title.”
The Indians continued to keep the Trojans pinned in their own end in the second half but the Trojans had a rare dash down the field and it resulted in a goal.
Pomerleau raced down the left wing and took a shot that was saved by Leah Kruse. However, the ball spilled across the goalmouth and Ouellette swept it into the vacated net.
Thornton Academy used the momentum to make another attack but Ryley Mullin relieved the pressure with a nice run out of the defensive third to midfield.
LeBlanc cemented the win by capitalizing on a free hit.
“No one came out at me so I went into the circle and shot it,” said LeBlanc, who cleanly beat Capozzi with a blast to the far corner.
“They’re a really, really good team,” said Thornton Academy midfielder and Miss Maine Field Hockey finalist Grace Pickering. “They had big hits and they defended in layers which made it hard for us to get the ball and gain momentum. We have good forwards and we generated a lot of breakaways during the season but we couldn’t today.”
“Our defense was incredible. They were amazing,” said Michonski.
“They played a really fast game and we haven’t played a team that transitions across the field as quickly as they do,” said Thornton Academy coach Lorali Smith.
“Our midfielders and backs played great,” said Skowhegan coach Paula Doughty referring to players such as backs Kaley Thebarge, Mullin, Haley Carter and Mattea Powers as well as midfielders LeBlanc, Kelso, Bowman and Lizzie York.
Defender Grace Decker shone for Thornton Academy.