SANFORD — There is the “need to” and the “want to”.
And Tuesday on the chilly field at Goodall Park, the desire won out over desperation.
Kennebunk, whose spot in the Western Maine Class A field hockey playoffs had already been secured, took a hard fought, 2-1 overtime win over Sanford, who needed a win in this, the regular season finale, to keep their flickering hopes alive.
Jenn Davis doomed the Redskins’ chances when she scored 10:42 into the extra session.
“I think at the end our team wanted it so bad,” said Davis, a senior forward, “We all wanted it.”
Davis scored her goal on one good ankle, the left one she severely sprained in practice on Monday.
Even so, she put her entire body into the decisive shot, with came from the right side of the circle, and hit the back of the cage with a clank.
“Everyone just got down there,” said Davis. “Every practice, practicing that shot, it pays off when you really need it.”
The Redskins (7-7), who finished 10th, one spot out of the playoff, fought hard throughout what was essentially an elimination game.
“We had to play our game,” said Sanford coach Diana Walker, whose team missed the playoffs for just the second time during her 28-year tenure. “We couldn’t leave anything on the field. And we didn’t.”
Kennebunk took a 1-0 lead, 24:34 into the first half, when Cheyenne Knox polished off a penalty corner opportunity.
But just 2:22 later, Jordan Brasier knotted the score, with assists going to Tallyn Brown and Lindsay Nolette.
“I told them that you can’t say, ‘I wish I had’, or ‘I wish I could’ve done that.’ Just that you could say ‘you did your best,’” Walker said.
Both teams pressed hard for the go ahead tally throughout the scoreless second half before Davis threw her knockout punch.
“I wanted it to be a game that the seniors could remember,” said Rams coach Kayla Hinkley. “We just showed what we were capable of doing. I think we did. They did everything they were supposed to. It was beautiful.”
The Rams will know their first playoff opponent, today.
— Contact Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune.
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