Big matches, and big performances, highlighted the Morrisville-Eaton and Canastota field hockey team’s work in the next-to-last week of the regular season. It culminated in Thursday’s wild contest between the Warriors and New York Mills. With first place in the Center State Conference West division at stake, M-E did just enough and, with a late comeback, squeaked out a 4-3 win over the Marauders to clinch a tie for the league title. A crisp series of passes early in the first half led to Amber Smalley’s goal and a 1-0 Warrior lead. Mills countered with a furious attack that saw Saran Frankland scored twice in a span of five minutes. Down 2-1, M-E resumed its attack and, a minute before halftime, forced a penalty stroke that Leigha Morris converted to tie the game. It would not be the last time Morris would come up big. Midway through the second half, Mills went back in front, 3-2, Kayla Britell converting. M-E stayed patient, then attacked hard and, with seven minutes left, pulled even again as Katie Verne pushed in a rebound of Ashley Kincaid’s shot. It all would boil down to a pair of penalty strokes. Just after Verne tied it, Mills forced the single shot in M-E’s end. Becki Vivacqua took the shot – and it hit the left post. Given a huge break, the Warriors countered and, with 2:31 left, earned its own penalty stroke. Just as in the first half, Morris took it and found the net, and M-E had the lead for good as it improved to 11-2 on the season. Just before playing Mills, M-E fought past Sherburne-Earlville 1-0 last Tuesday afternoon, a game where Widger notched the only goal. Jesse Woodruff’s five saves made sure that the slim margin helped up. Canastota, making a late-season push, went to Mount Markham on Columbus Day and worked hard for a 1-0 victory over the Mustangs. An evenly played first half saw Mount Markham make a fair share of attacks, but the Raiders resisted them. So it was 0-0 when, just before the break, Canastota inched ahead when Jessica Patterelli, off a nice pass from Kayleigh Avery, hit a hard shot past Mustang goalie Katie Collins. Now the Raiders had to hang on, and it helped to have a defense that never let Mount Markham get close too often. The one time the Mustangs did, midway through the second half, goalie McKenzie Kutzuba turned it away. A day later, Canastota beat Hamilton by that same 1-0 margin, though this one took overtime. For 60 minutes of regulation, the Raiders and Emerald Knights remained scoreless as Hamilton goalie Megan VanAuken worked her way to 10 saves. Only in the 10-minute, seven-on-seven OT period did Hamilton bend. Canastota’s Kissandra Blasier took the ball, worked her way through a handful of defender and flung a shot past VanAuken to give her team the victory. Canastota toppled Sherburne-Earlville 4-1 on Thursday for its third win in four days. Patterelli exploded for two goals and one assist, while Blasier had one goal and one assist. Katie Rinaldo nabbed the other goal as Avery notched the other assist. So the Raiders (8-4) have a hot streak going into the last week of the regular season, where it faces both M-E and New York Mills. Hamilton (5-6-1) turned around Thursday and beat Sauquoit Valley 1-0, the goal coming from Jessica Welsh in the first half as Jenna Schell earned the assist. The Emerald Knights held Sauquoit to just three shots all afternoon.