All-Region Field Hockey Player of the Year: Madeline Wagner, Winthrop

Madeline Wagner is making a habit of scoring big goals in big moments for the Winthrop field hockey team.

Winthrop/Marnanacook’s Madeline Wagner, center, dribbles toward the net for a goal during the Ramblers’ Class C South quaterfinal win over Lisbon in Winthrop last month. Wagner scored six goals in the game and finished the season with 47 goals. She has been selected as the Sun Journal All-Region Field Hockey Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

After scoring the game-winner in the 2022 Class C state championship game, the junior did it again in 2023 in the final minutes of a 2-1 victory over Dexter/Central, giving the Ramblers their consecutive state title and fourth in six years.

Wagner’s goal-scoring — she had 47 this season — particularly in the clutch, make her the Sun Journal All-Region Field Hockey Player of the Year for the second straight year.

“I think I have always been a competitor,” Wagner said of scoring the big goals for her team. “When you get in those tight games where there’s medals on the line, I always just want to win. That will come out over everything.”

Wagner also dished out 15 assists this season.

Winthrop/Maranacook coach Melissa Perkins said Wagner’s situational awareness is paramount when the Ramblers need a goal.

“Even in the state game, we were a tired group,” Perkins said. “But she understood the time, the play. She understood when the opportunity was there, and absolutely took a hold of it in a beautiful, beautiful, goal.”

Wagner and Perkins have rewatched the game-winning goal against Dexter, on which Wagner ran 70 yards before scoring.

“I won’t lie, I watched it quite a few (times),” Wagner said. “It was an incredible moment for me and the rest of the team. I just like to watch it sometimes.”

Perkins said Wagner’s game-winner and Izzy Folsom’s goal to win the Mountain Valley Conference championship are personal highlights.

“I joke with the girls, ‘That one and Izzy’s game-winner in the MVC game is on ESPN’s Top 10,'” Perkins said. “I joke about that. They are like, ‘Really?’

“I am like, ‘No, but they are on my Top 10, for sure.”

Wagner set a new program scoring record when she scored her 82nd career goal on Oct. 11. She heads into her senior year with 101 goals.

She scored 10 of this year’s 47 goals in the postseason, including a six-goal game against Lisbon. Perkins said Wagner wanted to show off her abilities on the biggest stage.

“She wants to prove her ability and (that she is) deserving (0f) anything she gets,” Perkins said. “She’s deserving of any player of the year nominations; she just made the all-state team. She wanted to make sure people knew that.”

Madeline Wagner of Winthrop sends the ball up the field during the Class C state final against Dexter on Nov. 4 in Lewiston. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Wagner was named to the 2023 Maine Field Hockey Association All-State team.

After putting up 39 goals as a sophomore, Wagner said playing on Winthrop’s new turf field helped her surpass 40 goals in her junior season.

“We were on turf this year, which I love,” Wagner said. “I found that very helpful, and I was trying to work on some finishing skills. Last year, I talked about just getting more goals on the board. The rest of my team helped me out, too. You can’t put a goal in without everyone working towards it.”

Perkins said Wagner’s well-rounded game makes her difficult for opposing defenses to stop.

“Madeline’s field hockey skills are just exemplary,” Perkins said. “She’s hard to stop and many teams have thrown a double- or a triple-team at her, but she can work around it.”

Perkins said Wagner’s biggest accomplishment this season was being mentally tough and handling having a target on her back.

Wagner said she enjoyed this year’s team because everyone’s personalities meshed together well.

She also relished being one of four captains, along with Folsom, Lauryn Miller and Caroline Corgan, for a team made up primarily of underclassmen.

“From the first practice or game this summer, I knew I wanted to be a leader,” Wagner said. “I really realized someone needed to step up on this team. I really wanted to be a role model for the younger girls on the team and someone they could look up to.”

While still soaking in winning the state championship earlier this month, Wagner is already looking forward the start of the 2024 season because most of the team will be back.

“Honestly, it’s having almost the same exact team again next year,” Wagner said. “That usually doesn’t happen when you are playing high school sports. I think it’s going to be a unique experience and one I am really looking forward to.”