TURNER – The Leavitt Area High School field hockey team desperately needed a wake-up call in the Hornets’ KVAC regular-season finale Monday.

Jen Gondeck scored two goals in less than a two-minute span early in the second half and Leavitt made the proper adjustments to rally past Belfast, 2-1, before a sun-drenched Columbus Day crowd.

Both Leavitt (10-4) and Belfast (10-4) are expected to finish in the top five in the final Class B Heal Points.

“We had come out flat in the first half,” Leavitt coach Wanda Ward-MacLean said. “The team hadn’t practiced since last week and it showed. So I told the girls at half time that this could be their last home game if they didn’t pull it together.”

Leavitt came out on fire in the second and immediately advanced the ball in to the Belfast zone. The pressure paid off as Jamie Alexander dribbled the ball in from the right and fired a shot at Lions goalie Amanda Littlefield who made a kick save. Fortunately, the rebound veered out to Gondeck who blasted a shot in the cage to tie the game at 1-1.

Leavitt refused to let up and Gondeck scored the eventual game-winner. Alexander assisted on the play with 25:49 left in the game.

“It was intense,” Gondeck said. “I had set up in front of (cage) and was just waiting for the centering pass. After the way we had played in the first half, we really stepped it up.”

Belfast dominated the first half and opened the scoring on a goal by Britt Reed, who beat Hornet goalie Kristin Schrepper (six saves) on the short side. Kristy Jackson assisted on the play 10:12 into the game.

Belfast had seven penalty corners in the first half, but was unable to crack the offensive zone until the final two minutes of the game. The Leavitt midfield hustled after loose balls, while fullbacks Laura Pratt and Nicole Gilbert and sweeper Jessica Ames denied the Lions from advancing toward the zone.