Hodgdon girls quietly rolling along undefeated

By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    On Saturday, two of the current top three teams in girls Class D faced each other, with the Hodgdon girls (6-0) picking up a 57-31 win over visiting Van Buren.
    Van Buren’s paramount player, Parise Rossignol, rolled her ankle late in the second quarter of Saturday’s  game. Van Buren was leading by five points prior to the injury.
    At halftime, Mariah Wiley drilled a 3-pointer to tie the game at 25-all.
Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
BASELINE — Hodgdon’s McKensie Palmer looks to take the ball baseline against Fort Fairfield defenders, from left, Taylor Churchill and Sydney Churchill.
    Rossignol tried to return a couple of times in the second half, but was unable to do so, as the Lady Hawks outscored the Crusaders 32-6 down the stretch.
    Hodgdon was led by Wiley’s 21 points and Lacey McQuarrie tossed in 17. Lauren Howell had eight points, while Haley Gardiner added seven.
    Van Buren was led by Rossignol’s 10 points and Felisha Bouchard’s nine.
    Scores at the break were: 14-8 Hodgdon; tied 25-all at half; Hodgdon 44-28 after three.
    “In the Van Buren game, we just wanted to come out with defensive intensity from every girl,” said Hodgdon coach Vaughn Farrar. “I felt we were ready and we thought if we stayed up with the pressure we could get good results in the second half and wear them down.”
    The Hodgdon girls have a packed week with three games, with one yesterday at East Grand, while tonight at 7 p.m. they host Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook. Then, the Lady Hawks host Central Aroostook on Friday at 7 p.m.
    “It gets hard now to not get worn down,” said Farrar. “We need to stay healthy and keep focused. That is the challenge this week to just go one at a time. I want the girls to have fun, which will help us to relax, hopefully. It’s a tough stretch all the way through because of all the early cancellations.”
    Despite a close first half, the Hodgdon girls attacked the basket in the second half to break open last Wednesday night’s game in Hodgdon against Fort Fairfield.
    The Lady Hawks picked up a 53-34 win over the visiting Tigers.
    Gardiner recorded a double-double, with 15 points and 20 rebounds, while Jennah Steamer and Howell each finished with 11 points. McKensie Palmer and McQuarrie each added six points, while Wiley chipped in with four.
    From the post, Howell was an unsung hero, as she came into the game and added another offensive weapon for the Lady Hawks.
    “She has been working hard for us,” said Farrar. “She is improving a lot, as well.”
    As the Lady Hawks were working to shake Fort Fairfield, Palmer dropped in a 3-pointer that ignited the crowd and her teammates.
    “McKensie’s 3-pointer was definitely a boost for us that just helped open everything else up for us,” Farrar noted. “She can hit that shot.”
    Hodgdon pushed the lead to 10 points, 27-17, at the 2:34 mark of the third before extending the margin to 38-24 to open the final stanza and led 41-24 with 5:53 left in regulation.
    Hodgdon led 14-9 and then 21-16 at the half.
    “We were confident at halftime and thought if we could just play smart we’d be OK,” Farrar added.
    Farrar added because he was “thin on the bench” Palmer and Howell “are real important.”
    For Fort Fairfield, Sydney Churchill dropped in eight points and Logan Bubar added six.