By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
EAST MILLINOCKET — The Limestone-MSSM Eagles battled back from a three-goal deficit at intermission to get to within a goal of the host Schenck Wolverines Friday, but ended up falling by a score of 4-2 in the Eastern Maine Class D preliminary playoff matchup.
The No. 8 Wolverines bolted out to a 3-0 lead as Olivia Lewis, Morgan Thompson and Ashley Leavitt all scored first-half goals.
“Schenck’s offense was very quick and worked well together for crosses,” said Eagle first-year coach Becky West.
However, it took Limestone-MSSM just 13 minutes early in the second half to score a pair of goals to cut the margin to one. Chelsey Pelkey had the first with 7:25 in, while teammate Melissa Cantafio scored five minutes later.
“The girls on the field really worked together and I feel dominated the second half,” West said.
The team kept the pressure on and had some other great opportunities, but couldn’t convert and Schenck put the game away with 2:18 left on Lewis’s second goal of the contest.
Jordyn Hopkins saved six of 15 shots in goal for the Eagles, while Schenck’s Taylor McLaughlin turned away four of seven shots.
“When looking back at our season this year, I have to say this is a team that never gives up,” West said. “We have had a number of players out this season for different medical reasons, so we have struggled with only having 11 to 13 players per game for most of the season, sometimes less.
“These girls never gave up in a game. The team improved so much this year, both offensively and defensively,” she added.
Limestone-MSSM improved their win total from two in 2012 to six this year. The Eagles ended up 6-9 overall.
