OAKLAND — The Messalonskee field hockey team picked a good time for a breakout performance.
Four different players chipped in for the No. 3 Eagles, who beat No. 6 Bangor 7-0 in a Class A North quarterfinal at Veterans Field.
Isabel Culver and Sophia Ventimiglia each tallied two goals for Messalonskee (12-3), while Payton Alexander, Chloe Michaud and Aura Morin added goals.
“It definitely feels nice, it seems like everything is coming together,” said Culver, a senior. “We we’re in a little bit of a slump but got out of it by the last game of the regular season. It feels really nice to be winning again and scoring again.”
The Rams end at 8-7.
The game was a far cry from the last encounter between the two teams, a 1-0 win for Messalonskee on Oct. 5. Messalonskee kept a consistent offensive attack on Bangor the entire game, never giving the Rams a true opportunity to fight back.
“We’re really happy with tonight, it might be the best team effort we’ve had all year,” Messalonskee head coach Katie Brann said. “We had a lot of different scorers and different combinations of kids (contributing). I’m just really happy all the pieces are coming together.”
The Eagles got to work early, with Michaud knocking a shot into the cage just minutes into the game. Four minutes later, Ventimiglia slipped a shot in a scrum.
Messalonskee’s Lexis Bayne, center and Zoe Gilbert, right, battle for the ball with Bangor’s Chase Smith (3) in the first half of a Class A quarterfinal game Tuesday in Oakland. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel
Ventimiglia added her second goal on a breakaway in the second quarter. Culver notched her first goal of the game two minutes later.
“We’ve really come together as a team,” Culver said. “We played together the whole time. It was a whole team effort.”
Culver started the scoring in the third quarter, while Alexander added a goal on a penalty stroke. Morin scored her goal with 30 seconds left in the game.
“I think we finally found a set of forwards that read each other really well and create some more team scoring opportunities and passes very well,” Brann said. “I think that kicked us off and started the momentum.”
Messalonskee will travel to South Paris to take on No. 2 Oxford Hills in the semifinal round. The Vikings (12-2-1) beat No. 7 Brewer in a quarterfinal game Tuesday.
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