DIXFIELD – Thanks to solid passing and a Torie Levesque hat trick, Hall-Dale jumped ahead early and waltzed away with a 5-0 win over Dirigo in a field hockey game at Harlow Park.

Hall-Dale (4-2) immediately applied pressure and Levesque scored two goals in the first five minutes and 24 seconds of the game. The 2-0 lead held up throughout the entire first half as the Cougars tried to energize their offensive attack.

“We had some opportunities,” Dirigo coach Amy Druzba said. “The trouble was, once we’d get the ball inside the circle, we’d get whistled for feet (contacting ball) or some other infraction. The girl’s want it so bad and a couple scores should provide them with some confidence.”

Dirigo (0-6) dropped back into a defensive mode and Katie Frett corralled the ball on the right side. Dirigo goalie Dani Thompkins rotated over to cut the angle and Frett passed to Levesque on the left post and deposited the ball into the back of the cage.

The Cougars called a timeout to make each player aware of their responsibilities. The move picked up the pace of the game, but Hall-Dale got loose on the outside. Danica Massey sent a pass to Levesque at the top of the circle and drilled it home.

“We had several nice long hits,” Hall Dale coach Ellen Vickers said. “Our intention was to spread the field, but what was happening was we would be bunching up in the middle of the field.”

Dirigo’s offense got on track as Abby Fenstermacher advanced the ball to Holly Knight, Samantha Webster and Sarah Oakes. Unfortunately, Hall Dale sweeper Kristina Severance would step up to intercept.

Dirigo also saw its defense – led by Caitlynn Dolloff and Tanya Hawk – rush forward to stop the Bulldogs from flooding the zone.

“I can’t say enough about how far the defense has come along,” Druzba said. “Caitlynn and Tanya are both sophomores, and they were rushing forward to clear balls. On offense, the passes are not connecting. There’s a lot of youth out there, Sarah Oakes is the only senior.”

Thompkins (21 saves) made a big save on a penalty stroke, but was eventually overcome by the Bulldogs’ relentless pressure. Heidi Dorion scored off a rebound nine minutes into the second. Frett and Levesque tallied in the waning moments.