The Massabesic field hockey team made it all the way to the state championship game last year, but the Mustangs would drop a 2-1 heartbreaker to powerhouse Skowhegan.

Massabesic lost three starters from that team to graduation, but the Mustangs have proven through the first eight games of the season that they are state title contenders once again.

“We are just a really determined group of girls this year and we know what losing feels like. We are just taking it game by game and hoping to get back there,” said senior Emma Rutledge.

The Mustangs are off to an 8-0 start this season and head coach Michele Martin-Moore believes her team is just starting to put it all together.

“They are starting to click and when they are on they are really, really on, and that’s always a good thing,” said Martin-Moore. “We’ve got some youth and we’ve got some older kids. We are just getting them to fit together and flow better together. That’s the key is to get that experience and that youth to balance each other out.”

A big part of the younger kids’ development has been the leadership of Massabesic’s five senior captains — Rutledge, Lydia Wasina, Morgan Pike, Kaylee St. Laurent and Logan Champlin — who Martin-Moore called “strong leaders.”

“They are very strong leaders, they are very strong competitors, their skills are awesome, but their drive to succeed is huge. They are different personalities out there and they can bring different kids together and that’s key,” Martin-Moore said.

Martin-Moore has also been impressed with the performance of freshmen starters Camryn Champlin and Anna Snyder and key freshmen reserves Emma Snyder and Izzy Hurlburt.

“I’m a little surprised that the freshmen were able to fit in so seamlessly with the seniors,” said Martin-Moore.

Pike agreed with her coach.

“They are pretty competent as individuals, so I think that with us pushing them and them being able to adapt to the play of a varsity game, it took a little while, but they play phenomenal every game for their age. They have really stood out and made a huge impact on the team,” said Pike on her freshman teammates.

Pike believes part of the Mustangs success this season is based on their close relationship and their team-first attitude.

“We are just really tight with each other … I think that because we are so focused on the team and not ourselves that it has helped us,” said Pike. “In past years we’ve had really individualized people on the team, and (this year) we are so focused on the team. We want to get back to where we were last year and we are really pushing for it.”

Martin-Moore has also made sure her team is focused on the next game on the schedule — and nothing else.

“They are all tough. When you get down to this point in the season, they are all tough because if you’re at the top, everyone is gunning for you. So you have to be on your game,” said Martin-Moore, who knows there is a key matchup with Scarborough at the end of the regular season, but isn’t worried about that game yet. “There are teams that are going to put a circle around your name at the beginning of the season, so you have to prepare for every game like it’s a key matchup. So yes, looking forward to Scarborough, right now we are both undefeated, that can be so different by the time we get to Scarborough. We are taking it one game at a time and (Thornton Academy) is the most important game on our schedule right now.”

The Mustangs are focused on tonight’s showdown with Thornton Academy, which is currently 5-4 on the season but with plenty of talent on its roster.

“We only look at the next game, so right now our focus is TA, and after that it will be the next game, then making it to the postseason and then states,” said Rutledge.

Rutledge recently broke the school’s all-time scoring record, but the standout was not worried about the personal accolade.

“I wouldn’t be here without my team,” said Rutledge. “I was just taking it game by game. I’m a frontline player and my team feeds the ball, and I just help finish it.”

Martin-Moore knows that Rutledge is a key member of her squad, but the head coach is also proud to have a balanced lineup with talented players ready to step up.

“She’s a team player so she hasn’t broken that record by herself and she realizes that. It’s a whole team effort to get someone to be able to break a career goal scoring record,” said Martin-Moore. “She’s very important to our team obviously, but she can’t be the only one or the other team would just focus totally on her and where would we be? She’s a key component but she’s not the only key component.”

Rutledge, and the rest of the seniors, are hoping to make more memories in their final season with the Mustangs.

“A lot of us have been playing together since third grade and up so we’re just going to leave it all on the field this year,” said Rutledge.

In a perfect world one of those memories would be bringing a championship back to Waterboro.

“Our main goal is obviously to make it to playoffs, and then after that would be to finish in the playoffs because we obviously want to redeem ourselves from last year,” said Pike.

— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at pmcdonald@journaltribune.com or at 282-1535 ext. 322. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.