CUMBERLAND — Greely’s field hockey team has won its share of big games this fall, but the Rangers took it to a new level Wednesday afternoon.

A historic level.

And in the process, they took another step toward a high seed for the upcoming playoffs.

Greely hosted defending Class B South champion York, and in a game with few scoring chances, the Rangers got a goal from Courtney Rog off a penalty corner late in the first half and made it hold up for a 1-0 victory.

Greely beat the Wildcats at home for the first time in a decade and climbed up to fourth in the Class B South Heal point standings as it improved to 8-2.

“It speaks volumes about how much work the girls have put in lately,” said first-year Greely Coach Chelsea Morley, a one-time York standout (Class of 2011). “(Beating York) means a little bit more. It’s nice to see all the hard work fall right. It’s always a rivalry. It’s a different perspective being on the other side of it. You can’t beat the energy the girls have brought to the field lately.”

The teams combined for just three shots in the first half, but Greely, on its third corner, produced the game’s lone goal. Delia Knox inserted the ball to Maddy Perfetti, who passed to Rog for a shot past goalie Julianna Kiklis.

“It was just timing,” Rog said. “Maddy passed it just where I needed to have it. I took the shot and it felt good off the stick.

“I love to see it work out like that.”

Morley knew full well that York wouldn’t go quietly in the second half, and sure enough, the Wildcats had an edge in possession and earned eight penalty corners. They couldn’t tie the game, however, thanks in part to shots that just missed, strong play from Greely’s defense, and some timely saves from Rangers goalie Cassie Ward.

Late in regulation, Ward denied York’s Lexi Brent, then Emlyn Patry fired a blast that just missed the near post, and Sage Works was robbed by Ward.

“We kept our heads down and played our game and kept our sticks down and held on,” Rog said. “We’ve come together as a team. It was a little difficult at first, but we’ve overcome and we’ve collaborated and created the team we are today.”

The final stats read five shots apiece, and the Wildcats had a 10-6 edge in corners. Ward’s five saves helped the Rangers hold on.

“We know we’re capable of more,” Morley said. “We’ll enjoy this win, but in a couple hours, we’ll move forward.”

York got four saves from Kiklis but fell to 7-3 under its new coach, Nora Happny, who said after the game that the Wildcats were eager to get another shot at Greely next Thursday in York.

“We just couldn’t finish today and I’m bummed, but I’m happy we’ll see them again next week at our place,” Happny said. “It’s a great group of girls who are used to winning, so losing is tough for us. I tell my girls that everyone comes for us because we’ve been strong for so many years.”

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