JAY — Soft-spoken Emily Castonguay looks at her performance on Senior Night as an accomplishment and an opportunity to finish her high-school career on a high note.
Castonguay’s four goals allowed Spruce Mountain (9-4) to sidestep scrappy Boothbay (5-7), which has been playing with just 11 players, with a 7-3 victory in a Class C field hockey game on a warm Wednesday afternoon.
“I think that’s first time that I actually been able to (score four goals),” Castonguay said. “I think I just scored hat tricks.
“It feels good. I have never done it before so it is an accomplishment. It is a good way to end my senior night.
“I think we really connected. We were able to execute.”
But Boothbay, with no players on the bench as backups, soldiered on and made the Phoenix work for their win.
“They gave us a run for our money, but we were able to kick it up a few notches,” Castonguay said.
The Phoenix owned the first half as they punched in four goals, three of which came on Castonguay’s hat trick.
Junior midfielder Hanni Johnson led the charge with the first goal of the game with 17 minutes left in the first half. Auriana Armandi set up Johnson’s first of two goals.
But from there on, Castonguay was calling the shots, scoring three straight goals to give the Phoenix a 4-0 lead going into the half. Armandi and Isabelle Castonguay collected assists on two of Emily’s goals.
With a 4-0 lead, Spruce Mountain coach Katie Trask began making substitutions, but the Seahawks remained determined to score and surprised the Phoenix with three goals in the second half.
Senior Karissa Ritter scored at 24:28 to give Spruce Mountain a comfortable a 5-0 lead. But the Seahawks started making the Phoenix nervous when they punched in three consecutive goals in under a four-minute span.
I think they got comfortable for a little bit and we just weren’t playing in the backfield,” Trask said. “We weren’t playing defense.”
Chloe Arsenault turned in a hat trick at 18:03, 15:42 and 14:29 to make it a 5-3 game. Cortney Meader picked up the assist on one of Arsenault’s goals.
Trask knows Boothbay’s reputation for perseverance isn’t just hearsay.
“They just play on; they do a good job,” Trask said. “I said to my girls coming into it: ‘They are sitting in the middle with their record and they are doing amazing for having 11 players.
“Sometimes, they played with 10 and sometimes they’ve even played with nine and they are a good bunch of girls. Their goal keeper (Jaelyn Crocker) is very talented.”
“I like how (our) girls came out,” Trask added. “They played together. They were talking. They were playing their game.”
Up only two goals, Spruce’s starters returned to action to put a stop to a tenacious Boothbay rally attempt. Emily Castonguay scored her fourth goal at 12:50 and Hanni Johnson added another one at 11:39 to put the brakes on Boothbay.
“We know we are a man down, but we are going to do the best we can,” Boothbay coach Donna Jordan said. “We are going to give it everything we have. It is what it is. We are going to play.
“I think (the Phoenix) are strong and very athletic team. They support each other on the field. I love the intensity that they play with.”
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