SKOWHEGAN — If there’s a word that may encapsulate the Skowhegan field hockey team this fall, it’s progress. The River Hawks continued their progress on Tuesday by beating Mt. Ararat 4-0 in a Class A North game.
Sydalia Savage led Skowhegan with two goals, both on penalty strokes, while fellow senior Sophie Noyes and sophomore Faith Pease each added a goal and junior Grace Mayo had two assists. “We worked together really well today,” said Savage, one of Skowhegan’s three captains. “We came out ready to play.
We usually haven’t come out playing great in the first half, but today we came out super hard, so I’m very happy about that.” Since a 3-2 loss to Brewer in the season opener on Sept. 5, the River Hawks are 3-0, outscoring opponents by a 13-0 margin.
Skowhegan (3-1), the defending A North champion, has virtually an entire new lineup this season, with only three returning starters. The varsity roster of 23 players includes four freshmen, 12 sophomores and five seniors. With such a young roster, longtime Skowhegan Coach Paula Doughty has had to adjust what she would normally be teaching at this point in the season.
Skowhegan’s Sophie Noyes, left, and Mt. Ararat’s Sarah Middleton go for a loose ball during a field hockey game Tuesday in Skowhegan. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel “Usually, I don’t have to teach basics all summer long,” Doughty said.
“This summer, it was just basics. (Assistant coach Tammie Veinotte) works with the defense and we .