Morning Sentinel from Waterville, Maine • B1

Sunday, July 25, 2021 www.facebook.com/kjmssports centralmesports FOLLOW US Sports Bcentralmaine.com Central Maine Sunday INSIDE: The US softball team stays perfect with shutout of Mexico B3 A 93-year-old hiker still has more trails to conquer B5 PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDING Hang on, if you dare BY DREW BONIFANT Kennebec Journal SKOWHEGAN After 10 years of organizing the Battle for Breast Cancer and more than $200,000 of raised funds, Paula Doughty was looking for another worthy endeavor. She opened the floor up to her Skowhegan field hockey team. Her players were ready with an idea. were ready for some- thing Doughty said. said do family vi- olence.

really high now in Somerset County, something that really passionate about. We know lots of people that are dealing with family vi- We decided to take that new The result was the first Victo- ries Over Violence event, a field hockey round robin to benefit the Family Violence Project, which raises funds for domestic abuse victims in Somerset and Kenne- bec Counties. Skowhegan hosted the games Saturday morning, while Lawrence, Nokomis and Mt. Blue also participated. The schools were the four teams that made up the original Battle for Breast Cancer event in 2010.

prevalent Doughty said. kid knows some- body or has experienced it. been a great has a village of people, and whatever she wants, we get it Lawrence coach Shaw- na Robinson said. girls are very charitable, and a great learning experience for them. FIELD HOCKEY New tourney, new cause Skowhegan hosts event to aid domestic abuse victims SAITAMA, Japan (AP) After a stunning loss in the opener, the U.S.

soccer team vowed to be ruthless against New Zea- land. A they re- bounded in a big way. The Americans cruised to a 6-1 rout of New Zealand in front of First Lady Jill Biden at the Tokyo Olym- pics on Saturday. With the United States leading 2-0 at the break, Biden arrived in time to watch the team put the game away in the second half at Saitama Stadium. The United States was blanked by Sweden 3-0 in the opener.

It was the first loss since Jan- uary 2019 and snapped a 44- game unbeaten streak. The Americans had not been held scoreless since 2017. But the Americans vowed to regain control of the tournament. Defender Kel- ley said the United States needed to be against New Zealand. was a very good team and we play our best, and when you do that up against a top opponent, going to punish you.

So that our best per- Crystal Dunn said. think we came into Game 2 knowing that we go from being a really great team two days ago to not being a great team any- Rose Lavelle scored off a well-placed pass from Tobin Heath in the ninth minute to give the United States an early lead and the first goal of the Olympics. Despite the lack of goals, the Americans dominated the half, unlike their out- of-sorts start against the Swedes. Lindsey Horan scored with a header in the final moments of the half to put the United States up 2-0 at the break. It was 23rd international goal and it came on her milestone 100th appearance for the national team.

Horan called it surreal: Her 100th cap while the SOCCER Back on track US rebounds, rolls past New Zealand 2020 TOKYO OLYMPICS USA 6 New Zea. 1 Michael G. Sentinel Evening light washes over a cowboy during a Professional Bull Riders Velocity Tour rodeo competition Friday night at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Michael G. Sentinel Joao Paulo Fernandez gets tossed from the back of Wooly Bully the bull during a Professional Bull Riders Velocity Tour rodeo competition Friday night at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.

BY TRAVIS LAZARCZYK Morning Sentinel ANGOR Grayson Cole was in the chute, atop a ball of angry ener- gy named Panic Button. In these last few moments before the gate opened and Panic Button was released, Cole made sure his right hand was tightly locked onto the saddle. Cole gave his right hand a few quick jabs with his left, and he was ready. It was over in 3.34 seconds. Panic Button ran straight out of the chute and bucked three violent times.

Cole rode those shock- waves, but as Panic Button began a fourth buck, the rider was dislodged. Cole fall off Panic Button as much as he spun off the back like he was attempting a showy dismount. Cole landed on his feet, and turned and stared at the bull that kept him five seconds from glory. Pro bull riders take show to Maine, looking to earn points and paychecks BULL RIDERS, PAGE B2SOCCER, PAGE B2 Michael G. Sentinel The Skowhegan and Nokomis field hockey teams compete during a Victory Over Violence summer tournament game Saturday in Skowhegan.

TOURNEY, PAGE B2.