Mustangs Lose To Little Falls

Mount Markham couldn’t hold back a Little Falls offensive surge in the second half and lost to the Mounties in the state field hockey qualifier.

Little Falls scored two goals in the third quarter and three in the fourth to beat the Mustangs 5-0. Mount Markham ends the season as the Section Three Class C champs with a 12-5-1 record.

The teams played in a qualifier last Monday at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill to see who would play in the state tournament.

LF won the Class D title, but there is no Class D level in state play.

The game began with a light rain that moved on after a few minutes.

The Mustangs came out strong on offense, with Leah Eck and Layla Rice going down the sidelines to find Madeline Bard.

But the LF defense held back the Mustangs all came, limiting them to two corner shots and no shots on goal.

Defenders Dee Dee Wolfe, Alex Graziano and Brianna Tooke stopped a Mounties run to the goal.

Bard brought the ball over midfield but LF turned it back. With 30 seconds left in the first quarter Graziano and Wolfe led a defensive stop to keep the game scoreless.

As the second quarter began Mount Markham picked up a yellow card for pushing, so went down a player for 2 minutes.

LF took their first of 11 corner shots, with Wolfe stopping the shot on goal. Eck went up the sideline with the ball, but was stopped.

With 4:35 left in the half LF took another corner with the shot going outside.

The Mounties made a push to break the scoreless tie before halftime, with goalie Ayva Kantor making a kick save on the 1-on-1 play with 32 seconds before the break.

The Mustangs defense was tested again 90 seconds into the third quarter but held off the shot.

Eck raced up the sideline but the Mounties defense cleared the ball. LF took a corner at the 11:41 mark.

Kantor saved the shot but the ball stayed live and was sent in on the rebound for a 1- 0 Mounties lead.

In the next two minutes LF took three more corners.

On the last one, a high diagonal shot got by Kantor for a 2-0 LF lead with 7:21 left in the quarter. ...