SOUTH BERWICK — With 11 shutouts in the 14-game regular season, Marshwood High’s field hockey team hasn’t been behind many times this year. So Coach Lisa Truesdale wanted to see how her players responded when the Hawks gave up an early goal in their Class A South quarterfinal game with Cheverus on Tuesday afternoon.

“They responded well,” she said.

And how. Led by stellar senior midfielder Hannah Costin, second-ranked Marshwood pulled away in the second half to defeat seventh-ranked Cheverus 4-1. Costin scored two goals and assisted another as the Hawks (13-2) advanced to a regional semifinal home game against Wednesday’s Scarborough-Biddeford winner on Saturday. The game time has yet to be set.

Costin downplayed her contributions saying, “This team, I rely on them so much. Everyone plays a part in every win.”

While Truesdale agreed that the Hawks’ success has been a team effort, she said Costin stood out in this game.

“This team is team,” said Truesdale. “Honestly, the whole entire season I’ve had a hard time picking one player as player of the game. And that’s fantastic to have everybody stepping up when they need to.

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“Today I would give player of the game to Hannah Costin. I thought she played fierce, competitive and relentless.”

Marshwood controlled the pace throughout, holding Cheverus to just five shots, three coming in a late flurry.

“We had a great year, we couldn’t have squeezed more out of them,” said Stags Coach Sally Cloutier. “We went up against a great team and we contended. We just didn’t have enough. They really shut us down in the midfield and they executed. We just couldn’t get it going offensively.”

Still, Cheverus jumped to a 1-0 lead when Caroline Ford stuck in a rebound at the left post off a penalty corner 5:09 into the game. It was just the third time this year that the Hawks have been behind.

Cheverus goalie Kat Kane made a couple of superb saves off hard drives set up on penalty corners early in the game.

But Costin carried the ball past a couple of Cheverus defenders into the right side of the circle and unleashed a hard drive into the far corner, tying the game at 1 with 5:11 left in the first half.

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It didn’t take the Hawks long to gain the advantage in the second half. Sophomore Celine Lawrence dribbled the ball into the right side of the circle again and blasted the ball through a screen into the cage 6:15 in to make it 2-1. “I really didn’t think it was going to go in,” said Lawrence. “I was just looking to get a tip from somebody else. Then it went in and it was just crazy.”

A little over five minutes later, another sophomore scored. This time Leah Glidden stationed at the left post, redirected a pinpoint pass from Costin on the right end line to make it 3-1.

Costin scored the final goal with 6:52 remaining, another hard drive off a penalty corner.

Cheverus had one more big chance with about five minutes left on a penalty corner. But Shannon Giblin made three consecutive saves to secure the win.

“I have confidence we can go all the way,” said Costin. “Not too much confidence because every game is a totally new game and it’s anybody’s year this year. But I think this team is the one that can do it.”


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