The undefeated Belfast High School field hockey team found itself trailing Nokomis High 2-0 at halftime of its Class B North regular season game on Sept. 29 in Newport.
It’s tough to win on Nokomis’ grass field, according to Belfast head coach Jan Holmes-Jackson. And she had a message for her team at halftime.
“I told them we could take a loss today even though I don’t want to,” said Holmes-Jackson. “I said I could handle it. But can you guys handle it?
“Some of my seniors said, ‘No, coach, we can’t.’”
So they made some adjustments and scored three unanswered goals in the second half to post a 3-2 victory.
Holmes-Jackson’s Lions went on to go 18-0 this season and win their second straight state Class B title.
She said that turnaround at Nokomis was a defining moment in the season.
“These guys showed they could come back. You could never count us out,” Holmes-Jackson said.
Three games later, the Lions erased a 2-1 halftime deficit against Gardiner to beat the Tigers 4-2.
That was the last time they allowed more than one goal in a game.
They won their final seven games, including four playoff games, by a combined score of 24-1.
They edged Freeport 1-0 in the state final in Lewiston on Saturday.
The Lions went 17-1 a year ago and won their first state B title since 2011. With 12 seniors on this year’s roster, the goal established at the outset of the season was to repeat.
“We lost some key players but we knew the majority of the team was back and it was certainly within our reach to do it again,” said Holmes-Jackson, who was assisted by Brittany Tarbox and Sara Bryant.
Ten of her 12 seniors were starters.
“It’s surreal that we’ve done it back-to-back,” said Holmes-Jackson. “It is so special. I love all of our seniors. They went out on top.
“They’re so good and they are going to be so missed. I’m already sad it’s over and I don’t get to see them every day,” she added.
Holmes-Jackson is the daughter of Allen Holmes, who previously led the Lions to 432 wins, seven state titles and 13 Class B North titles in his 40 years coaching the team.
The Lions finished this season outscoring their opponents 72-8 and registered 12 shutouts including six in their last seven games.
Kennebec Valkey Athletic Conference Class B North first team goalkeeper Nikki Shorey set the school record for career shutouts with 42.
She was protected by a back line of center back Laura Carpenter, left back Emily Friel and right back OraLee Woodbury.
Holmes-Jackson said Shorey and her fullbacks were a “solid unit” for the Lions.
“They defended the back so well for me,” the coach added.
Senior center midfielder Halle Tarbox was the KVAC Player of the Year. She was a double digit goal scorer and helped the Lions control the midfield.
She was joined in the midfield by All-KVAC second team pick Jocelyn Valleau and Kate Lemon.
Valleau scored the goal in the state final.
Up front, speedy right wing Allison Friel, an All-KVAC second team pick, led the team in assists. Holmes-Jackson said she had roughly 20 assists. She also had double-digit goals.
Payten Wadsworth led the team in goals with 17 and Sophia Larrabee scored 16. Payten’s freshman sister Kamynn was also a productive scorer.
Kamynn Wadsworth was in the 10-goal range and was also an outstanding passer, according to her coach.
She was the only non-senior in the starting lineup.
Tarbox, Shorey and Payten Wadsworth were chosen to the All-State team and OraLee Woodbury earned the Steph Lunt 12th Player Award.
The Lions also had three valuable contributors off the bench in freshman forward-midfielder Ella Chase, senior forward Katience Parenteau and sophomore forward-midfielder Hope Reynolds.
Larrabee, Carpenter and Emily Friel, Allison’s twin, were All-KVAC honorable mentions.