WINTHROP — Madeline Wagner took control from the opening whistle of Tuesday’s Class C South field hockey quarterfinal.
The junior midfielder scored six goals in Winthrop/Maranacook’s 9-0 victory over Lisbon on Charlie’s Field at Maxwell Complex.
“I had something to prove tonight,” Wagner said. She declined to go into detail about what she had to prove.
“She’s an extraordinary player, and she fires on all cylinders, all the time,” Winthrop coach Melissa Perkins said. “She’s just such a gamer; she’s just such an excellent player.”
The Ramblers bounced the Greyhounds from the playoffs for the second straight year. Last year the teams met in the regional final. However, this season Lisbon was a much younger team.
“We knew we were up against a tough opponent,” Lisbon coach Julie Petrie said. “They were good, and we were pretty inexperienced at the beginning of the season, but our goal today was to battle. They capitalized off their shots and our inexperience showed at times.”
The second-seeded Ramblers (12-3) will play third-seeded Hall-Dale (9-5-1) in the regional semifinals. Winthrop Athletic Director Joel Stoneton said the game will be Saturday at 1 p.m.
Wagner scored her first goal 1:25 into the first quarter when she ran past the No. 7 Greyhounds’ defense and into the circle, then ripped a shot past Lisbon goalie Sophia Cote (11 saves).
Less than two minutes later, Wagner again ran past Lisbon defenders then found the back of the cage again with another hard shot for a 2-0 Ramblers lead.
Wagner credited her teammates for giving her a path to the cage on the first two goals.
“Our team has been really working on spacing,” said Wagner, who earlier this month became Winthrop’s all-time leading scorer despite only being a junior. “The rest of the forwards being up there and in their positions really helped with that.”
Lisbon (4-10-1) started to gain possession late in the first quarter but wasn’t able to get a shot on Winthrop goalie Cyara Harriman.
“We didn’t start the way we wanted to, which is a hard hole to get out of,” Petrie said. “We held them a while, but unfortunately, they scored in spurts.”
Freshman Piper Clark resumed Winthrop’s scoring in the second frame. The Ramblers (12-3) inserted a corner and Clark ripped a shot into the goal nearly nine minutes into the period, giving Winthrop a 3-0 advantage.
“I start a lot of freshmen and a lot of sophomores, and they just go out and work, work, and work,” Perkins said. “They put in the effort and I am super proud of all of them.”
Wagner’s third goal came on a corner 11:17 into the second quarter. She added her fourth when she ran from midfield into the circle, again beating defenders along the way, and ripped a shot into the goal in the final minute of the half to make it 5-0.
Clark scored her second goal in the third quarter when jammed she home a loose ball after the Ramblers put a couple of shots on Cote.
Wagner chased down a ball in the circle and fired in her fifth tally of the game for a 7-0 lead near the end of the third quarter.
“She’s strong, she got skills, she’s quick,” Petrie said of Wagner.
Winthrop finished the scoring with two late fourth-quarter goals. The first goal was by Wagner, who unleashed a long-distance backhand shot for a score. Later, Clark ripped home a Wagner assist for a 9-0 lead.
Wagner said she’s been impressed with Clark, who has exceled in her role of playing near the post when the Ramblers take penalty corners.
“She’s been there all season,” Wagner said. “We are finally starting to put it together and she’s doing all the right things on the post. I couldn’t be prouder.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
