YARMOUTH—When it comes to Class B South field hockey, most of the attention is focused on reigning state champion Freeport, last year’s regional runner-up Yarmouth and perennial powerhouse York.
And rightly so.
But there’s another team that’s crashing the party and as the midway point of the 2024 season nears, rest assured that you’re going to start hearing about the Gray-New Gloucester/North Yarmouth Academy co-op.
A squad that’s winning games and having fun in the process.
Wednesday afternoon at Lewis Field, GNG/NYA got to play on turf, NYA’s seniors were honored, then the Patriots went out and took care of visiting Lake Region, dominating nearly the whole way.
GNG/NYA went on top to stay just over five minutes into the game when senior Greta Tod scored from sophomore Kenlie Nadeau.
Tod struck again six minutes into the second period, this time scoring from senior Emma Bowden, and the Patriots would take a 2-0 advantage to halftime.
Then, late in the third quarter, Bowden scored, from Nadeau, and it appeared GNG/NYA was on its way to an easy win.
But to their credit, the Lakers fought hard until the end and saved their best for last, getting on the board with 1:59 remaining, as junior Mia Letarte scored from senior Audrey Philbrook.
Lake Region even had a look at making things most interesting, but couldn’t cut into the deficit and GNG/NYA went on to a 3-1 victory.
The Patriots are now 6-0 on the season after dropping the Lakers to 2-4.
“We actually have a really young team, but we have a lot of skills and we’re very athletic,” said GNG/NYA coach Julia Leary, now in her third season at the helm. “Our coaching staff clicks well together and that trickles down to the girls. They’re a great bunch. They’re super-dedicated and they get along well. I honestly think we’re very fortunate that both sets of players are great people. They’re kind and supportive and they’re just great teammates. And winning helps. Our success breeds confidence.”
The secret is out
NYA’s last year as a stand-alone program was 2019. There was no team in 2020 during the pandemic, then NYA and Waynflete combined in the 2021 season.
NYA and Gray-New Gloucester combined in 2022 (a 3-10-2 season which ended with a preliminary round loss to Morse) and a year ago (a 7-6-2 campaign which ended with a quarterfinal round setback to Lake Region).
This fall has been something altogether different.
And triumphant.
GNG/NYA opened with a 7-0 blanking of Wells, then defeated Oxford Hills (4-1), Cape Elizabeth (2-0), St. Dom’s (3-2) and Traip Academy (6-1).
“It’s so much fun,” said Tod. “We’re really coming together as a team. We’re working really well and bonding.”
Lake Region, meanwhile, started with losses to Greely (2-1, in double-overtime) Fryeburg Academy (1-0) and Freeport (4-0), then the Lakers defeated Wells and Cape Elizabeth by 4-1 margins.
The Lakers knocked GNG/NYA out of last year’s playoffs and Wednesday, hoped to prevail again, but on a cloudy 60-degree afternoon, with an occasional raindrop making an appearance, the Patriots kept their good times rolling.
The Patriots went on the offensive immediately and nearly scored three minutes in, but Bowden had a shot saved by Lakers junior goalie Nicole Watson and a rebound bid was swept off the line by Lake Region defender Katherine O’Connor.
Then, with 9:57 to go in the opening stanza, GNG/NYA broke through, as Tod redirected a pass from Nadeau past Watson and into the cage.
“Our team works a lot on momentum,” Tod said. “If we score early in a game, we’re really driven to keep playing offensively.”
Freshman Kasey Kebles nearly doubled the lead a minute later, but Watson made the save.
The Patriots kept the pressure on in the second period, but Watson twice denied Bowden, then saved a shot from Nadeau as well.
Then, with 9:01 to go before halftime, Tod struck again, this time one-timing home a cross from Bowden to make it 2-0.
“We’ve gotten good at cutting and getting open and we’ve gotten better at drawing the defense and passing to the open girls,” Tod said. “We had a lot of give-and-go’s up the field. Both of my goals, I was just waiting to tap it right in.”
“One of our team goals is to try to score as fast as we can and that momentum typically carries over,” Leary said. “Greta is so consistent. She never has off days. Her skill set the entire three years we’ve coached her has been great and consistent. She’s a silent playmaker. She’s a leader based off her actions.”
After Watson denied Tod’s bid for a hat trick on the doorstep, GNG/NYA took a two-goal lead to the break.
Little changed in the third quarter, as the Patriots continued to carry play and they were eventually rewarded with another goal.
Watson kept the Lakers in the game as long as she could by denying Nadeau, Tod on a rebound and robbing junior Abbie Packard on the doorstep.
Lake Region mustered its first shot on frame with 6;35 to go in the third, but Philbrook’s shot was turned aside by Patriots senior goalie Samantha Poulin.
Then, with just 35.5 seconds on the clock, Nadeau got the ball to Bowden and Bowden scored out of a scrum to make it 3-0.
GNG/NYA could have ended all doubt early in the fourth period, but Nadeau missed wide, then had a shot saved by Watson.
Then, with 1:59 remaining, Philbrook set up Letarte for a shot that Poulin couldn’t stop and the Lakers had life.
Lake Region then got the ball back in the circle, but Philbrook, off a feed from sophomore Abigail Travis, missed just wide and the Patriots were able to run out the clock on their 3-1 victory.
“It was really special to have this at NYA, on turf,” said Tod. “The GNG/NYA team means a lot to me, especially since they took us in and let us play with them. It got a little scary toward the very end. We got a little too comfortable. Next time, we have to make sure our heads are in the game right up until the end.”
“We had complete control offensively, so I think the girls needed (Lake Region) to score and humble them and make them refocus,” Leary said.
Big games to come
Lake Region is back in action Tuesday of next week, at home versus Fryeburg Academy.
Nothing gets easier for GNG/NYA, as York pays a visit Saturday and next Tuesday, the squad goes to Yarmouth. A game at Freeport awaits later this season.
“I’m really looking forward to see how we compare against the top teams,” said Tod. “I think we can right on par with them. We just have to keep our intensity up and have fun. That’s when we do our best.”
“We’re definitely looking forward to the next couple weeks of our season,” said Leary. “It’ll be really tough, but the girls are focused and they’re putting in the work. We’ll ride this high as long as we can. It’s the first time we’ve been 6-0. The girls are proud of themselves and that makes a big difference.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.