Search Maine Yellow Pages 
Log In | Register | Help
Morning Sentinel
FIELD HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Vaillancourt leads Nokomis to Eastern B title
BY MATT DIFILIPPO Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 12/03/2008

Sabrina Vaillancourt played field hockey in fifth and sixth grade, but not as a seventh-grader. She had a simple reason for returning to the sport a year later.

"I wasn't good at soccer -- at all," Vaillancourt said.

Vaillancourt wasn't a standout in junior high field hockey either, but that changed when she got to high school. That's when everyone realized she has an enviable knack for scoring goals.

As a junior this season, Vaillancourt scored 28 goals, leading Nokomis to the No. 1 seed in Eastern B and the regional title. For her outstanding season, Vaillancourt is the choice for the Morning Sentinel Field Hockey Player of the Year. Also considered were Skowhegan's Kylie Damon and Erin Sevey, and Messalonskee's Mickelle McCafferty.

Vaillancourt's ability to score is rare -- even some very good teams around the state don't have a player with that knack -- and something that can't be taught. But Vaillancourt knows neither how she does it nor where she got it.

"Actually, I picked it up heading into high school, somehow," Vaillancourt said. "I didn't really stand out in middle school, but then when I hit high school, I stood out."

Vaillancourt scored 23 goals over her first two seasons in high school, but Nokomis was still coming off a 7-8 season heading into this fall.

This year, the Warriors won and just kept winning, until everyone had to believe they were for real.

"We had no idea (we'd improve that much)," Vaillancourt said. "We thought that we might be better than the past year, but we had no intentions of going all the way to states."

As her goals piled up, Vaillancourt began getting extra attention. Teams would assign a player to "mark," or shadow her, and other teams would try double-teaming or more.

"Sometimes, I had like three," Vaillancourt said. "Seeing as how they had me marked, then the other side was definitely open, so my other wing, Jordan (McGinnis), we got it to her more."

Still, Vaillancourt was at her best in the postseason. Nokomis scored nine goals in its four playoff games, and she had seven, including both goals in a 2-1 victory over Winslow in the Eastern B final. The second goal came on the 15th set of penalty corners after two scoreless overtimes.

"That goal was definitely the best goal I've ever had, because it was so important," Vaillancourt said.

"It took a long time to get to that point, but it was just exciting to get it."

Nokomis made it to the state title game for the first time since 1977, and lost 1-0 to York. Vaillancourt was closely guarded in that game and had few chances to show her stuff.

"They shocked us, because of how much speed they had," Vaillancourt said.

Vaillancourt now has 51 goals in three years at Nokomis, and needs just three as a senior to break the school's career record. It would be appropriate for her to hold that record, because few players make scoring goals look as easy as she does.

"She just has tenacity and drive," Nokomis coach Katie Thompson said. "It's something that every coach wants out of their players, but it's not something you can teach them."

Matt DiFilippo -- 861-9243

mdifilippo@centralmaine.com

Bookmark and share this story: digg del.icio.us Reddit

Reader comments

Click here to view or add reader comments