FREEPORT — Katherine Millett, Olivia Madore and Kayla Rose scored goals to lead North Yarmouth Academy past Freeport 3-0 in a Class C field hockey game Tuesday.

Millett, the Flyers’ leading scorer, gave her team the early lead with a penalty stroke 1:36 into the game.

She charged through the Falcons’ defense for a close-in shot that was blocked, but on the ensuing penalty shot, she ripped a high shot just under the crossbar on the right side.

“I didn’t know which corner I was going to shoot for,” she said, “But I knew I wanted to go high.”

Freeport (6-3) responded, but North Yarmouth keeper Elizabeth Coughlin stopped Kayla Thurlow twice before Abby Smith clanged a shot off the right post 11 minutes into the game.

Falcons goalie Tallie Martin robbed Millett with a lunging save a minute later as NYA (5-3) regained control, and Madore scored an insurance goal with 10 seconds left in the first half.

Millett started the play with another rush from the left, but Martin came out to block her bid. In the scrum that followed, Millett pushed it over to Madore, who converted.

“She pushed it across, and it was on the line, and I just knocked it in,” said Madore. “It helped us keep our intensity, but it also let us relax a little and calm down for the second half.”

Mia Thomas had a close-in threat 10 minutes into the second half for the Falcons, but it was swept away by Coughlin, and five minutes later Panthers Coach Tracy Quimby called a timeout and moved Millett to defense.

“We’ve been experimenting with that for a few games,” said Quimby. “We’ve also moved Katie Cawley back there, putting some of our strongest players on defense when we’ve had a lead. It just makes it that much harder for the other team to get through.”

“It’s part of getting ready for some of our upcoming games,” said Millett. “We just want to get the best combination of players in the right places.”

Midfielder Rose closed out the scoring with 10 minutes remaining. Carly Lappas gained possession deep on the right and fed an open Rose on the left side for the goal.

“Carly chipped it over to me, and I hit it on the bounce,” said Rose. “We’ve really been communicating better and more supportive of each other the last few games, and we’re just really happy to get the win.”

“It was a big win for us,” said Quimby. “They’re a good team, but we played well.”

“We fought hard and had our chances,” said Freeport Coach Sara Dimick, “but we didn’t get the tip-ins we needed. And I think we need to work on supporting each other a little better.”

 

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