WATERBORO — The Massabesic Mustangs defeated the Marshwood Hawks 2-1 in the field hockey Class A South regional finals Wednesday night and will advance to the state championship game.

The Mustangs and Hawks faced off on a cold Wednesday night during which both teams maintained high energy and remained focused despite rowdy fans and high stakes. For the first 10 minutes it appeared as if the Hawks might take an early lead, beating a path around the Mustang goal with tenacious offense from Marshwood’s Leah Glidden. Massabesic’s counterpart to Glidden, Logan Champlin, exhibited great control in stealing from Marshwood’s defense twice before fellow Mustang Jacklyn Bearse made the first goal of the game.

Lit up by a point on the board, both teams started moving faster, crossing the field and changing possession often. Midfielders were pressed hard, but Marshwood captain Elaine Bachelder seemed to be everywhere at once, blocking plays and returning possession to her team.

Glidden seemed poised for a shot often while the other Hawk forwards positioned themselves in a cluster around the Mustang goal. The Mustangs spread out, keeping potential pass paths clear. In this holding pattern, play continued around Massabesic’s goal with little movement across the field until the last five minutes of the first half.

Bearse cleanly intercepted a pass from Marshwood to move the ball towards the Hawk goal only to have Marshwood’s Bachelder and Glidden carry it back towards the Mustang side. Massabesic experienced a moment of fear before the tide turned and Emma Rutledge scored for Massabesic, bringing the score to 2-0 before the break.

Marshwood would score a point in the first 10 minutes of the second half to tip the score 2-1, but the Mustangs would hold off the Hawks for the next 20 minutes, during which the Mustangs felt that time almost stood still.

Massabesic’s cross country and field hockey will be the only teams from the school competing at the state championship level. Head coach Michele Martin-Moore said, “Some of the faculty and I said ‘what we’re doing is so good for the school in general’ and this is such a special group of girls that they don’t even realize how special it is because that’s just them. They didn’t even want to leave after school today. They’ve been together since after school today. They did not leave. They’re so tight, they’re like a family.”

Many of these girls have been playing together from an early age in the Sanford Springvale Youth Athletic Association (SSYAA) and it shows. Bearse said, “Our front line works really good together, we’ve played together since we were in SSYAA. Our passes and our communicating and bonding as a team is really strong.”

The players and coaches are proud of the program and excited at a chance to represent the community well. Bearse said, “it’s a thrilling moment. It’s a thrill that everyone dreams to have. I love working with my team and it’s a great experience. Our intensity is definitely up there and we’ve just got to keep it up.”

The Mustangs, now Southern Class A champions, will play Skowhegan Oct. 29 for the state championship title.