OAKLAND — The Lawrence field hockey team will get its chance to take care of unfinished business in the Class B North final.
The No. 1-seeded Bulldogs beat No. 5 Cony 6-1 in a semifinal game on Saturday at Veterans Field. The game was moved to Oakland due to poor field conditions in Fairfield.
Ashtynn Stewart and Alicen Higgins each scored two goals for Lawrence (16-0-0), while Maddie Niles and Hope Bouchard each tallied a goal. Stewart also added an assist.
“We’re so excited (to get back to the regional final),” said Stewart, a senior. “We beat (Cony) before, but we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. It’s hard to beat a team three times (in a season).”
Lawrence will play No. 2 Belfast (14-1-1) in the B North final Wednesday at Hoch Field in Gardiner. The Lions beat No. 3 Nokomis 3-1 in their semifinal game Saturday at Point Lookout in Northport. It’s a return to the regional final for the Bulldogs, who fell 1-0 to Old Town in last year’s B North final.
“It’s exciting and stressful like always,” joked Lawrence head coach Shawna Robinson.
Cony finished 8-7-1.
The Bulldogs got to work early, jumping out to a 3-1 lead in the first quarter, with the first goals of the game from both Higgins and Stewart, as well as a score off a penalty stroke from Bouchard. Stewart added her second goal of the game early in the second quarter, then assisted Niles with her score just two minutes later. Lawrence entered halftime with a 2-1 lead.
“We knew we had to change (strategy) up,” Stewart said. “We knew we had to go hard and first.”
Lawrence’s Elizabeth Crommett (14) passes the ball as she is defended by Cony’s Elise Cunningham (12) in the first half of a Class B North quarterfinal field hockey game Saturday in Oakland. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel
“It took us a little bit to figure it out today,” Robinson said. “If they get their first (goal), usually another one is coming right behind it. That’s why we try to score early, because they feed off of that.”
After a scoreless third quarter, Higgins scored her second goal of the game early in the fourth for the final 6-1 score.
The Rams scored their lone goal of the game in the first quarter, when Isabella Smith slipped a shot in the middle of a scrum into the cage. Despite the final score, Cony did well moving the ball on Lawrence throughout the game.
“There is no question Lawrence is a very good field hockey team,” Cony head coach Holly Daigle said. “But we looked at the scoreboard at halftime, and I don’t feel it tells the story of that half. We did a lot of really good things. (Lawrence) executed in the circle, which good teams do, but our field play, we were there. We did a lot of good things, but I’m just so proud of them.”
“We expected aggressive, clean play (from Cony),”Robinson said. “They’re just fast. They’re great kids and they have a great coach.”
Cony earned its way into the semifinal after beating rival Gardiner 2-1 in the quarterfinal round.
Lawrence’s Ashtynn Stewart (21) collides with Cony’s Hailey Johnson (27) in a Class B North quarterfinal field hockey game Saturday in Oakland. Michael G. Seamans
“When you look at the depth of your team, should we have made it here? A lot of people might have said no,” Daigle said. “But I really can’t think of a team that I have coached that has improved so much from day one to the end of the season. They didn’t let up, they made the most of every single minute on the field. I could not be more proud of them, I’m just sad to end (the season) because I love them so much.”
It’s the second straight season Lawrence beat Cony in the semifinal round. The Bulldogs beat the Rams 1-0 last year.
Lawrence gave Belfast its only loss of the regular season, a 2-1 decision on Sept. 3 in Fairfield.
“(Belfast) is a fast, clean team,” Stewart said. “They’ll keep us on our toes. We’re going to have to watch film and take all the steps we need to take to beat them.”
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