FREEPORT — York’s field hockey team simply refuses to lose.
Even when it’s down by a goal and the clock reads zero.
Wednesday evening at Joan Benoit Samuelson Track and Field, the defending Class B South champion trailed Freeport 1-0 as time expired, but by rule, the Wildcats were allowed to play out a penalty corner. Ashley Carney scored to improbably send the game to overtime.
Then, freshman Abigail Dickson won it, and York remained undefeated, at 8-0, by virtue of a 2-1 victory.
“That was pretty exciting,” said Wildcats Coach Nora Happny. “I think the biggest thing with these girls, and York field hockey in general, is they don’t give up. They keep fighting.”
The Falcons, who had lost all 10 meetings against York since 2013 by a composite 43-1 score, got an early boost when goalie Piper Sherbert denied a penalty stroke by Bailey Oliver.
Freeport then went ahead with 3:59 left in the first half when Aynslie Decker set up Kyla Havey for a shot that goalie Kaitlyn Nowell (seven saves) couldn’t stop.
York pushed hard for the tying goal, but Sherbert (16 saves) and her defense stood tall.
When Sherbert denied Alex Brent late in regulation, it appeared the Falcons were on the brink of a breakthrough victory. But with time winding down, the Wildcats earned a corner, and after eight futile tries on earlier corners, they broke through.
The ball was played into the circle, was batted around, then went to Carney, who lifted a shot over the prone Sherbert and just over the stick of defender Rachel Harmon.
“We hadn’t scored on any of our other corners and we knew we needed to put it in and make up for the others, and we finally did,” Carney said. “I think it was a rebound, and I just tapped it in. It was the best feeling ever.”
York had the momentum heading into the first of two possible eight-minute overtimes. With 4:52 on the clock, off another corner, Sage Works got the ball to Oliver, who crossed it to Dickson, who simply had to tap it into the cage.
“Bailey tapped it over to me and I hit it in,” Dickson said. “It was an amazing feeling. It was a really intense game. It felt like a football game with all the fans here. It felt good to beat them.”
York had an 18-8 shots advantage and took 10 penalty corners to Freeport’s five.
The Falcons (5-3-1) were heartbroken, and left hoping for a third shot at the Wildcats in the playoffs. Freeport also lost 2-1 at York last Tuesday.
“Disappointment is an understatement,” said Freeport Coach Marcia Wood. “I don’t even know what to say. I’m so proud of my team. Time expired, but we need to finish. The girls played their hearts out all game. I’m hoping this drives the girls and we see York again.”
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