CAPE ELIZABETH – Elle Fitzgerald scored 3:18 into double overtime Monday night as Falmouth defeated Cape Elizabeth 1-0 in a Western Maine Conference field hockey game.
After Cape Elizabeth (1-1) was issued a yellow card, Falmouth (2-0) took a penalty corner with a seven-on-sive advantage. Jillian Rothweiler fed Fitzgerald in front of the goal, and she knocked in the sudden death winner.
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“It feels really good,” said Fitzgerald, a junior right winger. “It was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. It’s a huge team effort. It’s not one person. You have to have good depth in a team to be able to pull off something like that.”
In the first half, the teams combined for one shot on goal and two penalty corners and produced few quality chances.
“I thought we started out a little slow, a little sloppy, I think due in large part to nerves,” Falmouth Coach Robin Haley said. “But as the game went on I thought we did a good job of keeping our composure. The second half was stronger and we started to play more of our game.
“When it gets to seven-on-seven (in overtime), it’s just who gets the right bounce. Fortunately, it was ours today. Cape certainly is an excellent team. They moved the ball well tonight. But we hung in there, and it’s good to have some of these games because it tests if you can stick with it and stay in the game. And I thought we did a good job of that and played right until the end.”
The Yachtsmen had a golden scoring opportunity with 12 minutes left in the second half. Sydney Bell stole the ball at midfield and passed to Mikey Richards, who fed Leika Scott. Scott drove deep into the striking circle, but her shot was turned aside by goalie Mary DiPietro (four saves).
Falmouth goalie Hillary Nash had three saves.
Cape Elizabeth seized momentum midway through the second half, taking three penalty corners. Falmouth junior Hayley Winslow blocked a hard shot off a corner that led to a fast break and helped the Yachtsmen regain control.
Falmouth had a two-man advantage for 21 seconds late in the second half following penalties to DiPietro and midfielder Hailey Petsinger.
Cape Elizabeth appeared to win the game 90 seconds into double overtime, but it was called for an obstruction foul and the goal was negated.
Falmouth took six penalty corners. Cape Elizabeth took four.
Despite the loss, Cape Elizabeth Coach Darci Holland said she was proud of her team’s effort.
“I think for the second game of the season — and going against Falmouth, which always has a strong program — I think they played great,” she said. “I told them not to hold their heads down because they played some fine field hockey tonight. They played with heart and soul.”
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