AUGUSTA — Cony field hockey coach Holly Daigle summed it up best.
“It was a good-‘ish’ tie?” Daigle asked rhetorically following the Rams’ 2-2 draw with rival Gardiner on Tuesday evening at Fuller Field.
Abby Morrill and Isabella Smith scored first-half goals for Cony goals, while Raylee Gilbert and Brynnlea Chaisson sandwiched goals for the Tigers around halftime to help push the contest into overtime.
Cony (7-6-1) wrapped up its regular season ahead of the Class B North playoffs, while Gardiner (9-3-1) has one game remaining Saturday against Leavitt.
The matchup Tuesday had all the playoff feels, with timely saves, hit posts, a pair of overtime sessions and an unsuccessful penalty corner at the death.
The key moment of the game came just 1:13 into overtime, however, when Gardiner’s Cassidy Clark stopped a Maci Freeman penalty stroke.
“My money’s on Cassidy every single time,” said Gardiner coach Sharon Gallant. “I was feeling incredibly confident.”
Cony players rush in to hug senior Isabella Smith (7) after she scored a goal to put the Rams up 2-0 during a field hockey game Tuesday in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
Freeman earned the drive from the spot after teammate Maddie Chavarie caught Clark (8 saves) wide in a rare instance of error from the Tiger keeper. Chavarie’s ensuing shot on goal was blocked by the foot of Gardiner defender Madison Blais.
That set the stage for Freeman and Clark, one on one. Freeman’s shot sailed straight into Clark’s chest.
“I just try to calm myself down and get ready,” said Clark, who is 2 for 2 against penalties this season. “I just try to watch the body language of the (shooter) and try to decide what they’re going to do.”
Buoyed by the new life, Cony generated a number of chances in both overtimes but could not connect on the winner.
After getting such a good start — with a goal from Morrill less than five minutes into the contest and Smith doubling the lead midway through the second quarter — it was a troubling tie for Cony.
“Gardiner’s a great team,” Daigle said. “I can’t say, ‘We did this wrong’ or ‘We did that wrong.’ They wanted it just as much as we did. I am so pleased with the way we played tonight.
Cony seniors Madison Chavarie (17) and Isabella Smith (7) run through a ‘We (heart) Our Seniors’ banner during introducations for a field hockey game Tuesday in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
“I don’t want to say it’s a heartbreaker, because we didn’t lose. But just to come so close…”
Gardiner, now winless in its last three after winning 9 of its first 10 games this season, fought back.
Gilbert got the Tigers on the board with 3:39 remaining until halftime, and Chaisson pulled them even by battling the scrum in front for a loose ball and a goal with just over three minutes to play in the third quarter.
“We worked pretty hard, but I know we could have done better in the first half,” Clark said.
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