ASHLAND, Maine — Despite being the higher seed, Hornet coach Peter Belskis admitted his team probably had no business winning Saturday’s Class D North semifinal against Madawaska.
But they went out and did it anyway.
The second-ranked Ashland Hornets were outshot by a margin of 19-9 overall, including 10-3 in the second half, but they still managed to score the lone goal after intermission to break a tie game and edge the No. 6 Owls, 2-1.
“That was probably a game we shouldn’t have won,” Belskis said. “Our top scorer [Shelby Stolze] was fighting an injury and was a non-factor in the second half, they took 17 corner kicks to our four, and we are a young team and were a tired team going against a physically stronger and talented opponent.
“But we showed chemistry, character and grittiness and it turned out to be a very rewarding win,” he added.
Ashland was coming off a 7-1 win over Fort Fairfield in a game played less than 24 hours earlier and Belskis said his team didn’t have “its legs” and lacked energy, but some heroic individual performances led the way to victory.
Freshman Gabby Ayotte supplied the game-winning goal, which came on a brilliant play with just 5:28 left on the clock.
“She came down the left side, beat her defender and was one-on-one with the sweeper,” Belskis said in describing the tie-breaking goal. “She cut the ball in at the 18-yard line and caught the goalkeeper in between and blasted the ball into the top corner.
“Gabby is definitely one our rising stars and she made a big play at a big moment,” he added.
Also delivering a clutch effort was Ashland’s goalkeeper, eighth-grader Reagan Libby. She made eight saves on the day, but Belskis said four or five were “spectacular stops on balls that were going into the corner.”
“I’ve been in the game a long time and that was one of the best efforts in goal that I’ve witnessed,” the coach said. “She literally stole that game for us.”
The Hornets opened the scoring in the match and wasted little time in doing so. Danni Carter blasted in a shot from 35 yards out to make it 1-0 just 5:45 in. Madawaska fought back and finally put one in with 1:31 to go before halftime as Brianne Thibeault rebounded the ball in after the initial shot attempt by Isabelle Jandreau was stopped by Libby.
Belskis was pleased with his team’s defensive effort, noting that senior back Kassandra Nelson did an excellent job marking Madawaska senior and 100-goal career scorer Jenna Dugal, who was held without a goal.
Ashland, now 13-2-1, will next meet up against No. 1 and undefeated Central Aroostook (15-0-1) Wednesday in Mars Hill in the regional finals. The Hornets handed the Panthers their only blemish, a 1-1 tie, when the teams met Oct. 9. Earlier in the season, Central Aroostook came away with a 5-1 win in Ashland.
