They’re no longer unbeaten, but the Livermore Falls Andies aren’t crying about it.
“It was a reality check. I think it was good for us in the long run,” Livermore Falls coach Julia Parker said. “Really, I think it’s what we needed.”
With an 8-0 record, and less than a month removed from traveling to Telstar and walking away with a 6-0 win, the Andies hosted the Rebels late last week and fell, 2-0.
“With Telstar, they have such a good program,” Parker said. “We always have good battles with them. I remember a few years back, we went up to them and won 3-0, and then they came back down here and beat us 3-0. You never know with that team. I told the girls that.”
It’s hard to call a program that’s seen as much success in recent years as Livermore Falls resurgent, but the team’s 9-1 start has been a bit of a surprise, even to the team. Parker’s depth at all positions, and particularly up front, has been the biggest reason.
“Our four forwards have all been big for us. They’ve all contributed this year; it’s been great,” Parker said.
Kathryn Ventrella, still just a junior, is leading the way for the Andies with 14 goals. Samantha Greenwood, a senior who’s missed time in recent years with an injury, is right behind her with 13.
Erin Gats, meanwhile, is still just a sophomore, and is just one goal away from hitting double digits, tied at nine with senior Kim Theriault.
“The thing we forget, too, is that even though we’ve scored 50 goals, we’ve still only allowed just six, too,” Parker said.
Primary on the back end for Livermore Falls has been Caylee Morris in net.
“We can’t say too much about how well she’s done, especially as a senior,” Parker said. “She’s done an absolutely great job.”
And it’s not all about the starters for Parker, either.
“Liz Cote has been fantastic off the bench for us,” she said. “And she’ll play anywhere on the field for us, except goalie. She hasn’t tried that yet. But she’s a very versatile, dependable player for me.”
The Andies’ biggest test remaining on the schedule will likely be against Winthrop, another one-loss MVC team that plays in Eastern C, next Monday.
Colorful accent
Call it team bonding. Call it a psychological tactic. Call it odd, if you like. But whatever you want to call it, it appears to work pretty well.
The Leavitt field hockey team, in a key KVAC showdown against Waterville last week, appeared at the field in their typical green and white uniforms, trimmed in black — and purple with white polkadots.
MPA regulations prohibit players from having mismatched uniforms, but the girls on the team are allowed to tie their hair back. Leavitt did so with Waterville-purple-colored bands, and coach Wanda Ward-McLean joined them by wearing a scrap of fabric tied around her arm.
“They’ve been doing that for a few years now,” Ward-McLean said. “It’s something they started a few years ago, and the captains pick the colors, and they’re different every game. It’s just one of those things the girls do.”
Not over ’till it’s over
It’s not a rule that manifests itself every day, and the letter of the law perturbed a goal-hungry Edward Little squad Saturday.
At the end of a game, if a team is awarded a penalty corner as time runs out, the corner is only attempted if the offensive team would have a chance to either tie or win the game.
Trailing 4-1 against Skowhegan, Edward Little earned a penalty corner on a kicked ball in the circle as the clock wound down. Play was called before EL could set up for the stroke, and, with a three-goal deficit, the team was credited with the penalty corner, but was not allowed to attempt it.
“This team, that’s why we’re up there,” Perkins said. “I think we were just as talented last year, and we won five games. This team has a big drive, a big will to win, and they showed it by wanting to play that out at the end.”
New tricks
Even the most established programs with the best track records find something new to try every once in a while.
Nine-time defending Eastern A champion Skowhegan, again unbeaten this season, is rotating two sophomore goalies through the starting lineup. Longtime coach Paula Doughty said it’s the first time she’s done that — ever.
“I’ve never played two keepers before in my life,” Doughty admitted. “But they’re both sophomores, they’re both stellar athletes and that’s the only way they’re going to learn, is if they both get in there and play.”
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