First-year Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield field hockey coach Terri-Jean Wilkinson didn’t expect senior winger Trinity Leavitt to play until midseason.
“She had a pretty invasive knee surgery at the beginning of the summer,” said the head coach and former MCI player. “But she made some amazing gains and she came back for our very first game.”
Wilkinson said Leavitt was still weak and couldn’t run well so she put her in the middle of the field rather than on the flank.
“But she has gotten stronger and stronger so I was eventually able to put her back out in her familiar role out on the wing,” Wilkinson said. “She still doesn’t have the speed she used to but she has amazing stick skills and does some great things.”
Those “great things” include scoring the game-winning goals in all three of MCI’s Class C North playoff games to earn the Huskies a rematch with Winthrop in Saturday’s state championship game. Winthrop beat MCI 3-2 a year ago.
They will kickoff the three state championship games at Messalonskee High School in Oakland at 11 a.m. MCI is 13-3-1 while Winthrop is 15-2.
The Class B game between Lawrence of Fairfield, 17-0, and 13-3-1 Freeport will follow at 1 p.m. and another rematch will take place in the A game at 3 p.m. as a pair of 17-0 teams, Skowhegan and Cheverus of Portland, will square off.
Cheverus won last year’s state final 4-1 and will be looking to make it the first time since 1999 and 2000 that Skowhegan went consecutive years without a state title.
Sanford won state titles in 1999 and 2000. Skowhegan has won 16 of the last 20.
Cheverus has outscored its 17 opponents 148-5.
Leavitt scored in the second overtime to beat Mt. View of Thorndike 2-1 in the quarterfinals and had the overtime winner in a 1-0 semifinal win over Dexter-Central in the semis before she got the first goal in a 2-0 win over Dirigo of Dixfield in the C North final.
She and striker Ella Bernier have been the offensive difference-makers for the Huskies.
“Ella and Trinity have played together for 10 years. They read each other well,” Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson said when she replaced head coach Nancy Hughes, she knew her team had the potential to make a deep playoff run.
“We had skilled players. We had to get them to mesh together and connect at different levels. They have really been able to motivate each other,” Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson knows her team will have its hand full with Winthrop.
“They’re an amazing team. I’m happy we get to play them,” Wilkinson said.
Winthrop beat Lisbon 1-0 in the C South final on Brooke Belz’s goal in double overtime.
Lawrence has never played in a state championship game and Freeport last played in one in 2000 when it lost to Dexter in the Class C final 2-1.
Lawrence has 11 seniors and edged Belfast 4-3 in the B North final.
Freeport eliminated York in penalty corners in the South final.
Samantha Thebarge’s tying goal in the fourth quarter and Layla Conway’s overtime goal rallied Skowhegan past Oxford Hills of South Paris in the A North final.
Cheverus blanked Windham 6-0 in the South final.
