Oakmont ends Frontier Regional field hockey season in OT of state semfinal
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WORCESTER - Seven on seven wasn't as kind to Frontier Regional this time around.
After battling into double overtime before finally scoring the game winner in last week's Western Massachusetts Division 2 Tournament championship game, the Red Hawks allowed a goal 41 seconds into overtime of Monday night's state semifinal and lost 1-0 to Oakmont of Ashburnham at Foley Stadium.
"We played 7 on 7 in our last game, so we knew how to play it really well," Frontier senior defender Brie Cook said. "We knew how to play it as a unit. We tried to keep tight and communicate as a team. It is about possession at that point, so it was tough."
The Spartans (14-0-7) had the ball to open the sudden death period and immediately broke into the circle. Frontier (18-1-2) cleared it out once, but Oakmont retook control and Kathryn Nutting sent a cross to Audrey Brigham, who converted the shot for the victory.
The Spartans will play for the state championship Saturday at Worcester State University at 10 a.m. They will play the winner of the other state semifinal between North champion Watertown and South winner Canton, which is set for tonight at Westwood High School at 7 p.m. Watertown is the two-time defending champion and beat Oakmont 1-0 in the 2009 title game.
The game marked the end of the careers of Frontier seniors Emily Williams, Kacey Roberts, Sara Judge and Cook.
"They should be so proud of everything they've accomplished," Red Hawks coach Missy Mahar said. "I hope they realize they are the reason this team could accomplish everything it did under their leadership as seniors. They are such a great group of seniors."
Oakmont carried much of the play in the first half Monday, and Frontier sophomore goaltender Gwen Thayer was solid, making five of her eight saves before halftime.
The scariest moment for the Red Hawks came with 10 minutes, 50 seconds left, when Oakmont put two shots on goal during a long scrum in front of the Frontier goal, but Thayer turned both away.
"In the beginning, there were some game jitters and Oakmont came out so strong," Mahar said. "Gwen made save after save and they had chances after chances. We were playing back on our heels, playing not to lose."
The game was much more even in the second half, as Frontier earned true scoring chances and its lone corner opportunity of the game.
"In the second half, they realized that it was still 0-0 and we were here for a reason," Mahar said. "They were playing to win. That was a huge difference. They were able to compete with Oakmont and it brought a whole different game in the second half."
With 2:04 remaining in regulation, Emily Williams hammered a hard cross into the box from the left side that got through the defense to the far post, but no one could settle it before it went out of bounds.
That was the final scoring chance for either team in regulation, as Frontier went to overtime for the second straight game.
On Friday, the Red Hawks held off a strong Smith Academy attack during the first 15-minute overtime period and Roberts eventually scored the game winner midway through the second extra frame.
But on Monday, Oakmont converted immediately to advance to the state finals.
The state field hockey tournament has not been kind to western Massachusetts in recent years. Since Frontier's trip to the finals in 2004, an overtime loss to Canton, the only WMass team to win a state D-2 semifinal was Mohawk Trail in 2008.
Since the D-2 tournament began in 1983, only seven WMass teams have made the title game and just two (Greenfield in 1999 and Smith Academy in 2000) have won the championship.
"I think field hockey in central Mass. is just more prominent," Mahar said. "I know in Division 2, in central Mass. there were 15 teams. We had five teams in western Mass. I think it's more field hockey heavy and they see better competition more often (in central Mass.) Things are improving in the offseason in western Mass., but it's not at the same level yet."
Frontier reached state title games in 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1983, and 2004, but has not won since going back-to-back in 1975-76.
Things haven't gone much better in D-1, where Longmeadow's trips to the finals in 2009 and this season are the lone times a WMass team has gotten out of the state semis since 1999. Western Mass. won D-1 state titles in 1975 and 1976 (Frontier), 1985 (Southwick), 1986 (Athol), 1989 (Greenfield) and 1993 (Smith Academy).
The Lancers beat Algonquin 1-0 in overtime in the D-1 semifinal Monday.
Jim Pignatiello can be reached at jpignatiello@gazettenet.com.
