Falcons reign over Bulldogs, 5-0

RUMFORD -- Nicole Burgess scored four goals to pace a high-flying offense and goalie Venssa Swett recorded a shutout as the Mountain Valley field hockey team triumphed 5-0 against Hall Dale last week in a driving rain at Hosmer Field.

Mountain Valley entered the game with momentum after having tied Spruce Mountain and the next day beat Hall Dale 2-1 in overtime. The sudden surge coincides with changes, including moving Lexy Duguay to the left wing and put (inners) Burgess and Provencher together as a one-two punch on offense.

“Home field was big,” said Mountain Valley coach Melissa Forbes, who believes the girls are coming along with their game sense and ball control as a team. “After (Spruce) game, I think they had taken Hall Dale too lightly in the first game.”

On several Falcon rushes, it was the one-two punch who connected when Provencher took a shot and Burgess corralled the rebound and scored with 5:48 left in the first half. MV had dominated the play, with Nicole Couch setting up Burgess and Duguay' shot was stopped by the Hall Dale goalie (eight saves).

Hall Dale was not connecting its passes and MV FBs Makenzie Gallant and Addy Gorham and SW Erin Hall cleared balls out of the zone. On the offensive end, Kayla Pingree, Alexa Fryover and Couch were advancing balls into the circle.

"We have been looking at the kids strengths,'' said Forbes. "We have kids that can drive the ball and kids that can carry the ball on a dead sprint. So we have been using it, telling the backs and mids that they have about two touches to get the ball to open space and then send it hard and fast to the front line."

In fact, Aly Carlton drilled home shot with 22:30 to go in the second half. MV had received a penalty corner and worked the ball around the horn. The Falcons seized the momentum by intercepting a pass and Burgess scored from 10 yards at 21:47.

The conditions grew worse, but the field held up quite well. Provencher twisted her ankle and returned, while Carlton suffered a hip pointer.

The Falcons continued controlling the ball and Burgess scored twice more on solid drives. The game was called with 1:51 left on clock.

“Again, the field was short and not wide in Hall Dale," said Forbes. “It causes these girls to get on top of each other which creates third man (whistles)."