RUMFORD — There was a lot on the line for both teams as Livermore Falls and Mountain Valley met in a key MVC field hockey game Monday afternoon, and even the adverse weather conditions couldn’t put a damper on the contest.

Kathryn Ventrella and Sam Greenwood each scored two goals as the Andies completed a season sweep with a 4-2 triumph over the Falcons in misty conditions at Hosmer Field.

Both teams began the game coming off very different results. Livermore Falls suffered its first loss of the season against Telstar last Friday, while Mountain Valley was riding a three-game win streak.

“After Friday’s game we needed a good performance,” Livermore Falls coach Juilia Parker said. “The girls stepped up. I had talked to Sam Greenwood about being more aggressive and we really needed her to be after Kim Theriault was injured (37 seconds in to the game). But, Anna Durrell was big and Liz Cote came in and did a good job.”

Livermore Falls (9-1) was ranked third in the most recent Class C Heal Points. After a tight first half during which the Andies scored the lone goal, Livermore Falls jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Ventrella scored off Greenwood’s pass with 17:31 remaining in the game. The teams combined to score three goals in a span of 3:06.

Class B Mountain Valley (6-4) broke through when Ayla Allen drilled a shot past Livermore Falls goalie Caylee Morris (seven saves) at 10:17, but Greenwod knocked home a rebound 1:24 later off of Mountain Valley goalie Emily Gallant (10 saves), to give the Andies back their two-goal cushion.

“This was a big game,” Mountain Valley coach Melissa Forbes said. “We really needed the Heal Points to make the playoffs. But, it was good for us to face a good team and we have more coming up. The team felt better about having scored two goals against Livermore Falls and there was certainly no quit in the girls. They were trying to score goals right to the very end.”

The Falcons again replied and pulled to within a goal as Sam Glover tipped home a Whitney Ruff pass with 7:09 left.

“Our goal was to drive the ball down the field,” Parker said. “We had talked about keeping it away from Ayla (Allen) because she is big for them in the middle.”

Ventrella opened the scoring off a penalty corner, 7:24 in to the game, and Greenwood completed the scoring with two minutes left to play.

Mountain Valley had tweaked its lineup by moving Allen and Alexa Fryover up in an effort to generate more offense from its quick front line of Nicole Burgess, Payton Provencher and Becca Maifeld. Burgess carried the ball forward, but was denied by Morris, who rushed forward and sprawled on the ground. Also, a goal by Makayla White was waved off because she hit the ball from outside the circle and no other Falcon player put a stick on it.

“This is a young team,” Forbes said. “I didn’t have a senior out there, so everyone will be back.”

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