Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Taylor Baker had to earn her shutout the hard way in Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class D semifinal.
The Ashland junior goalkeeper not only blanked Van Buren during 80 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime play, but she stopped all four attempts in the penalty kick round.
As a result, the Lady Hornets are back in the EM title game and as the second seed will play No. 1 Southern Aroostook in Dyer Brook this afternoon at 1 p.m.
The two teams battled hard throughout the match, but neither could solve the other’s defense. Ashland had the wind advantage in the first half, but mustered very little offense. In fact, the Crusaders had the best scoring chance as Lindsay Lajoie had a breakaway four minutes into the game, only to hit her shot attempt just over the cross bar. Macie Pelkey had the Hornets best opportunity of the half, but her shot from 15 yards out was off right.
In the second half, despite playing against the wind, Ashland had the better of play. Still, Van Buren goalie Ashlie Wilson, a freshman, was solid in keeping the Hornets out of the net. Jackie D’Ozier and Jessica Jimmo both threatened to score in the final 10 minutes but came up empty.
Earlier in the second half, the top scoring chance of the day was turned in by Van Buren as Kelly Vaillancourt gathered in a corner kick and hit a shot from the top of the 18-yard line that glanced off the crossbar before being cleared by the Hornet defense.
“We really dodged a bullet there,” said Ashland coach Pete Belskis. “It was then that I thought we were probably heading to penalty kicks.”
Ashland carried play during both OT sessions, but again could not convert. Crystal Cook, Brooke Labelle and Jimmo all made some strong pushes toward the goal, but were stymied each time.
That led to the penalty kick round. Ashland won the toss, but deferred to Van Buren, who chose to kick first. “I wanted to put the pressure on them and had confidence in our shooters and Taylor.”
Anna Paradis knocked in her shot to the left post to give Ashland a 1-0 lead at the end of the second round. Both teams were off the mark in the third round, but Baker made a spectacular diving save on a shot by Van Buren’s Shawna Lapointe that kept it at 1-0.
“I was just watching her feet and guessed the right way,” Baker said. “I just jumped … I really don’t know how I got to it.”
Suzie Poulin then had a chance to secure the win, and she did just that. Her blast to the upper left corner of the net led to the celebration for her Hornets. “She’s the coolest customer,” Belskis said of Poulin. “She know the outcome of that kick even before she took it.”
Baker had eight saves during the game for Ashland, who improved to 12-3-1 with the win. Van Buren, the third seed, ended the year at 10-6.
In the quarterfinals last Tuesday, Paradis knocked in the game-winning goal with just under 30 minutes to play as Ashland bested No. 7 Fort Fairfield, 3-1.
After a scoreless first half, Pelkey put Ashland on the board before FF answered with a goal by Brooke Beaulieu. After the Paradis goal, Jimmo provided an insurance tally off a Whitney Donovan assist to close out the scoring.
Katy Donovan saved 15 shots out of 23 attempts in goal for Fort, while Baker saved five of six shots for the Hornets.
Contributed photo/Dave Allen Graphics
ASHLAND COACH Peter Belskis starts the celebration moments after his team defeated Van Buren in the Eastern Maine Class D semifinals Saturday at Presque Isle.
