AUBURN – Whether they do it physically or mentally, the St. Dom’s Saints can use either of the two poisons to beat their opponents.

Saturday, it was both.

The Saints broke open an even field hockey game with three first-half goals to defeat the Sacopee Valley Hawks, 4-1.

The first 10 minutes of the match were a stalemate, with neither team earning a strong scoring opportunity.

Then, with 19:47 left in the first half, Elisha Dorso raced down the left flank and fired a shot from just inside the circle that Hawk goalie Kristine Thayer (nine saves) couldn’t get a pad on.

Seven minutes later, the Saints (7-1) turned a defensive stand into instant offense. First, Julie Vandermeulen stopped a long hit dead in its tracks.

She then fired the ball out of the circle to Becky Lewis. Lewis dribbled the ball for a few yards before sending a lead pass onto the stick of Michela Fyler, who was sprinting down the ride side.

Fyler quickly went to the Sacopee end of the field before crossing a pass back to the hustling Lewis.

Lewis fired a one-timer past Thayer.

“Michela took the ball, and we went up the field,” said Lewis. “I sprinted up, she passed the ball and I put it in.”

“We moved (Michela) up to forward to get the transition game going,” added St. Dom’s coach Brian Kay. “Her ball control is outstanding”

The two-goal lead proved insurmountable.

“Our goal is to come with intensity and score the first goal,” said Kay. “Scoring the first goal is key. That can break the other team’s back. If you get the second, it’s even better.”

Lewis also scored the third goal after Sacopee (4-4) failed to clear a loose ball in traffic at the crease area.

When the first half ended, St. Dom’s led 3-0 and 8-0 in shots.

“I really thought we stayed with them for the first 10 minutes,” said Sacopee coach Terry Mosson.

“When they scored, it was just like taking the air out of the balloon. They’re just very aggressive and that causes intimidation.”

Early in the second half, the Saints struck again as Dorso hit Fyler at the top of the circle on a penalty corner. Fyler settled the ball, and then shot it into the cage.

The Hawks’ score came as the result of a penalty corner with a little more than 22 minutes left in the game. Ashley McAuliffe struck the ball to Abi Franz, who sent a touch pass to Katie Pike at the top of the circle.

Pike blasted the shot past Saints’ keeper Elizabeth Bennett.