AUGUSTA — Scarborough High School senior Maddy Dobecki was named Miss Maine Field Hockey at the Maine Field Hockey Association All-State Awards Banquet on Sunday at the Augusta Civic Center.
A two-year captain for the Red Storm, Dobecki – who plans to play at St. Michael’s College – scored 12 goals and assisted on 15 to lead Scarborough to the Class A state championship.
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The award is given to the top senior field hockey player in the state. Rylie Blanchet of Skowhegan, Kersey Boulay of Mt. View and Arika Brochu of Cony were the other finalists.
“Field hockey has taught me things that cannot be taught anywhere else,” Dobecki said in her acceptance speech. “It has taught me to always persevere, no matter how many times you get beat – always keep trying. It was taught me to play every game like it’s your last because you never know when your season might end.
“Finally, it taught me to never give up – not if you’re losing a game and especially not if your team is tied with a man down and two seconds left. You never know what will happen.”
Scarborough, the state runner-up in 2012 and 2013, ended Skowhegan’s four-year reign with a 1-0 victory on a goal with 2.1 seconds remaining.
Former Gardiner coach Moe McNally was also honored. McNally, who went 407-144-21 with two state titles, was inducted into the MFHA Hall of Fame.
“Retirement from teaching and coaching has given me time to reflect on what I’ve taken from my profession over the last 35 seasons,” McNally said. “It’s not the wins, it’s not the losses, it’s not the championships and it’s not even the honors that come to mind first.
“It’s the connections that I’ve been fortunate enough to make during that time that occupy my thoughts.”
She was also a founding member of the MFHA and served on the board for more than 30 years. The annual senior all-star game is named in honor of McNally.
“Every one of the players I reached out to for quotes about Coach M commented that while she demanded more, she gave even more,” said Gardiner’s current coach, Sharon Gallant, who spent 15 years as an assistant to McNally.
“(It was a) privilege to be there at the beginning and the end,” Gallant said.
This year’s President’s Award – which recognizes a member of the Maine field hockey community who has made “significant long-term contributions” to the sport – went to former Nokomis coach Katie Thompson.
The Steph Lunt 12th Player Award – named for a former Winthrop player – went to Casey Bucklin, a Sanford player who refused to let lasting side effects from concussions prevent her from playing the sport she loves.
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