Mt. Ararat field hockey beats Skowhegan in Class A North battle of unbeatens
Eagles defeat River Hawks 4-1, Chase records 200th career victory
SKOWHEGAN — A milestone for the program and a statement for the season were both delivered on Monday, as the Mt. Ararat field hockey team defeated Skowhegan 4-1 in a contest between two undefeated contenders.
The victory was historic for head coach Krista Chase in more ways than one. It marked the Eagles’ first win over the River Hawks since Chase took over the program in 2014, capping off a dominant performance on Skowhegan’s home field. It was also Chase’s 200th career win, a longevity mark she shared with her former Cony field hockey players, where she compiled an 88-37-2 record between 2002 and 2009.
“I just mean I’ve been around a really long time,” Chase said, laughing after the game. “I attribute that 200 wins to all of my former teams at Cony and Mt. Ararat. I like that I’ve been around for a long time. I love this game and I love Maine field hockey. I love trying to grow programs, that’s my thing. It’s just a statement of longevity and hard work.”
Chase was presented with a Sea Bag personalized with her name and the number 200 on each side to commemorate the occasion.
Mt. Ararat (11-0) set the tempo early, controlling possession and moving the ball comfortably through the first 22 minutes. Freshman Leah Lafrance put the Eagles ahead just over two minutes in, swiping a shot past Skowhegan goalkeeper Michelle Williams for a 1-0 lead.
“She is a hockey player,” Chase said of her freshman. “She plays ice hockey on the grass.”
Senior captain Maddy Sweet made it 2-0 with a poke-in from a scrum in front of the cage with 22 seconds remaining in the first half. The offense was spread across the roster, with four different Eagles contributing a goal each. Lafrance added an assist to her score, and the Eagles sealed the result with fourth-quarter goals from juniors Cali LeClair and Kamryn Chase.
“She’s our speed,” Sweet said of Lafrance. “We’re so proud of her out there.”
While Skowhegan (11-1) struggled to contain the Eagles early, the River Hawks finished strong. Skowhegan outshot Mt. Ararat by a 10-6 margin in the final two quarters and held a 5-0 advantage in penalty corners. Senior Faith Pease scored with 3:11 left, pulling the score to 4-1.
Mt. Ararat goalkeeper Jaymie Bergman was the steady hand between the posts, recording 15 saves, including three stops in a 10-second span with 10:15 left in the third quarter. Michelle Williams made eight saves for Skowhegan.
The win improved Mt. Ararat’s standing in Class A North. Skowhegan entered the matchup as the No. 1 seed, ahead of Camden Hills and Mt. Ararat. Following Monday’s result, the Eagles swapped places with Camden Hills, who now sit second. Skowhegan retains the top seed for the moment because they have played one more game than both Mt. Ararat and Camden Hills.
Both teams are scheduled to face Camden Hills later this week, with Skowhegan playing on Wednesday and Mt. Ararat on Friday.
Chase acknowledged that the schedule has been demanding, noting the team has played every other day recently with games on Wednesday and Saturday last week and Wednesday and Friday upcoming.
“They were really hungry and they showed up to play,” Chase said. “I’m really proud of them. It’s been kind of a bumpy year with scheduling, we’re in our games-every-other-day kind of (part) of the season. But we’ve been mentally preparing for this week, a lot of games in eight days.”
Skowhegan head coach Gina Davis praised her own team’s resilience despite the loss.
“(Mt. Ararat) played a beautiful game,” Davis said. “You’ve got to give respect to your opponent. We’ll be thanking them for that lesson deeper in the season. The goal isn’t to have an undefeated season. You learn your lesson, take your medicine.”
Davis added that the response to this setback would be the defining factor for the River Hawks’ season.
“We’ll bounce back when we play Camden Hills,” Davis said. “And how we respond to that will help determine the good versus the great programs.”
