Field hockey: Red Hawks stun top-seeded Monomoy in state semifinals, 3-1

MARLBOROUGH – For the first time in 21 years, the Frontier Regional field hockey team will play for a state championship. The fifth-seeded Red Hawks vanquished top-seeded Monomoy Regional, 3-1, in the MIAA Division 4 state semifinals at Whitcomb Middle School on Thursday night.

The Sharks entered the game having outscored their tournament opponents, 25-0. The Red Hawks were undaunted, scoring first on a goal by Addie Harrington with seconds remaining in the first quarter. After the goal, the Red Hawks knew they belonged on the field with the juggernaut from Cape Cod. Haly Doucette-Kaplan assisted on the goal.

“Scoring first set the tone for us,” Harrington said. “It settled us in instead of being frantic.”

Frontier advances to the state championship against No. 2 Dennis-Yarmouth at noon on Saturday at Burlington High School. The Red Hawks gave a well-traveled and loud fan section a lot to cheer for in the semifinal match up. After the final horn, the team mobbed goalie Brooke Charest.

“Coming here tonight on the road, the fifth seed playing the top seed,” Frontier coach Missy Mahar said, “for them to come out, score twice, it just made them believe. We can do this. We belong here.”

Frontier will attempt to make history with a state championship. It would be the first under Mahar.

“They are talented and they work hard,” Mahar said of her team. “They are a great team. That’s what I stress. It’s not one solid frontrunner. It’s a collaborative of girls out there working collectively together. When you do that, good things can happen.”

Harrington added a second goal in the second quarter, assisted by Elsa Brown. The goal on a perfectly executed penalty corner, which is something the Red Hawks have focused on extensively. Harrington found a loose ball near the net and scored to give Frontier a 2-0 lead.

After halftime, the onslaught began for the Sharks. Monomoy began a relentless assault on the Frontier defense. Kate Walker led a defense that did not completely break. Frontier had a defensive gameplan, and it was executed to perfection against the high scoring Sharks. Frontier had to clear the ball out of the defensive zone as quickly as possible against the skilled Monomoy offense. Walker played a big part in making that happen for the Frontier defense.

“We usually do a see-saw method,” Walker said. “Ball side defender goes up on ball side. The other one drops back. We definitely like to communicate to get on everyone. We keep our sticks down. We talk a lot. We work as a team. We get it all done together.”

Dennis-Yarmouth will provide a similar challenge to Frontier in the state championship.

“It’s going to be pretty tough, but I think we got it,” Walker said. “I think we are going to come out strong and we’re going to come out fired up from winning this.”

The defense had a few leaks. There were legitimate shots on goal in the third and fourth quarters. Enter the freshman keeper, who stepped up in a huge way when her defense needed it. Charest made six saves. Each time she made a stop, the Frontier bench erupted with cheers.

“It was so close,” Charest said. “I was very scared, but I had to stay confident. My team was always supporting me on the sides. It felt so good. They are all so supportive. The defense played amazing. They had some saves when I couldn’t get there.”

Samantha Clarke scored at the beginning of the third quarter for the Sharks. Frontier held on to the tenuous lead late into the fourth quarter.

That’s when Rowan Reilly delivered the final blow to Monomoy’s chances for a comeback.

Executing another penalty corner, the ball found the stick of Brown, who sent the ball to the post. Repositioning herself near the post, Reilly tapped the ball in to give Frontier a 3-1 lead with three minutes left.

“It was just an awesome feeling,” Reilly said. “We were the underdogs. We were expected to lose. Putting us ahead in the last few moments, it really felt good.

The Frontier defense held the Sharks shotless in the first half. The Red Hawks also did not allow a first half penalty corner, while forcing three. In the second half the Sharks increased their offensive pressure with seven shots and five penalty corners.