Foxcroft Academy aims for second straight state field hockey title in Maine
The undefeated Ponies face Winthrop High School on Saturday at 3:05 p.m. in Auburn, capping a day of three class finals.
By Oliver Bennett ·
Maine high school field hockey players will compete for state championships on Saturday at Edward Little High School in Auburn. The day includes finals for Classes A, B, and C. Foxcroft Academy, based in Dover-Foxcroft, seeks its second consecutive Class C title. They face the Winthrop High School Ramblers at 3:05 p.m.
Foxcroft Academy enters the match with a 17-0 record. The team earned its spot in the final by defeating Dexter 1-0 in the C North title game. Lilah French scored the winning goal with 10:35 remaining in that contest. Before that, the Ponies beat Orono 9-0 in the quarterfinals and Stearns/Schenck 6-0 in the semifinals.
The roster includes Addie Rayfield, the Penobscot Valley Conference Class C Player of the Year. Other first-team All-PVC selections on the team are Ava Dunton, Jenna Hartford, and Lili Bisson. Their opponents, Winthrop, are 16-1. The Ramblers advanced through the Class C South region by beating Oak Hill 3-0, Boothbay Region 4-1, and Spruce Mountain 3-1.
Winthrop holds a recent history of success in this division. The school won four straight state titles from 2014 to 2021. In the Class A final at 11:05 a.m., Cheverus High of Portland plays Mt. Ararat of Topsham. Both teams are 17-0. Cheverus is looking for a fourth consecutive title in that class.
The Class B final takes place at 1:05 p.m. between Nokomis of Newport and Freeport. Nokomis, which is 16-1, won its North title game against Leavitt of Turner 4-2. That victory avenged a 2-0 regular season loss to Leavitt. MaKenzie Watson, Ava Roundy, Annie Nyce, and Maeve Rush scored for Nokomis in the final. The team has not won a state title since 2013.
Freeport is 14-3 and reached the final with three one-goal victories. They beat the Gray-New Gloucester/North Yarmouth Academy co-op team 1-0, Greely of Cumberland Center 3-2, and Yarmouth 2-1. Freeport won its last state title in 2023. Mt. Ararat, which plays in the morning, rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Skowhegan 3-2 for its first regional championship ever.
The three games make up the full state championship slate for the day. Foxcroft Academy and Winthrop High School will close out the schedule in Auburn.
