Rockport stuns Saugus field hockey in double overtime

SAUGUS – It almost never seems to fail to happen at least once in a state tournament. A higher seeded team outplays a lower seeded team but lets said team hang around and watches as that team catches a break and pulls off the upset.On Wednesday at Stackpole Field, that is exactly what befell the Saugus field hockey team. The No. 6 seeded Sachems controlled the play most of the game against No. 11 Rockport but they failed to make a dent in the scoreboard through 60 minutes of regulation and nearly two full overtime periods.Those failures to convert eventually gave the Vikings a chance to steal away the win, which they did when Cape Ann League/Small Player of the Year Allie McManus converted off an Emma Littlefield penalty corner 6:47 into the second overtime for a stunning 1-0 win in a Division 2 North first round game.Click here for a photo gallery.The Vikings (12-6-2) will actually get to host their quarterfinal when No. 14 Bishop Fenwick comes calling. The Crusaders pulled a gigantic upset as well, bouncing No. 3 Marblehead in penalty strokes.”Those are the breaks you get in the state tournament,” Saugus coach Barbara Guarente said. “They got lucky and we didn’t.”Saugus (13-3-3) had more shots, more quality chances and dominated the play through most of the 7-on-7 overtimes but couldn’t get a ball past Rockport goalie Kathryn Reilly.Three times in the final five minutes of regulation play, Saugus’ Jackie Doherty found herself in front of the net with the game on her stick. Twice she barely missed the left post and Reilly made a huge kick save on a third bid just before time expired.With plenty of open field available in overtime, both defenses put the clamps on and turned the first 15-minute sudden death period into a battle of the midfields. Late in the session, Doherty again had a chance to win the game but Reilly flashed her pads again to preserve the scoreless tie.”There were plenty of opportunities for both teams,” Guarente said.Rockport nearly ended the game in the first minute of the second overtime when Meghan Reilly’s shot off a penalty corner grazed the outside of the left post. Three minutes later, Saugus seemingly might have put an end to things when Tori Mitchell was all alone in front of the goal but she misfired on her shot to keep the game going.And as usually seems to happen in overtime, the Vikings took advantage of the second life to full extent. Littlefield played a perfect ball into the goal area where McManus won a battle for it and lifted a shot into the Saugus net to finally end things.