Eagles draw close to the start of postseason play
Messalonskee field hockey coach Katie Brann is confident her 10-3 team has the right stuff to compete with the best in Class A North as the Eagles draw close to the start of postseason play.
And in referring to “the best,” Brann includes perennial powerhouse Skowhegan, the defending Class A regional champion.
“We absolutely have the potential for an upset [over Skowhegan],” Brann in sharing her sentiments on the Eagles, ranked third in Class A North. “It would take a lot of hard work, mental toughness, and commitment to tactics. But we’ve seen them twice now and know how they play. I believe that we can compete with anyone if we’re at our very best.’
Brann, though, isn’t concerned with Skowhegan alone.
“We cannot overlook any team in this conference and only focus on Skowhegan,” she wrote in an email response. “We’ve had close games with some lower ranked teams.”
Messalonskee beat Lewiston 3-0 last Friday to snap a two-game losing streak and can add to its momentum with a victory against Winslow this week. Brann sees going 2-0 to finish the regular season as critical.
“We need to get some confidence back,” expressed Brann. “We also talk a lot about respecting all opponents and playing our absolute hardest in every game, and these last few games are a great opportunity to do so.”
The Messalonskee volleyball team, which is ranked fifth in Class B with an 11-2 record, also seems certain to qualify for the playoffs. The Eagles only two losses have come against unbeaten Gardiner, the No. 2 team in Class B.