TURNER – This time, it counted.

And there were more can’t-miss opportunities for the Leavitt Area High School field hockey team after that elusive first goal, too.

Lauren Doiron put Leavitt on the board early Tuesday afternoon, and Heidi Swett cashed in a pair of dead-ball chances in the second half to hoist the Hornets past the Winslow Black Raiders, 3-0, in a clash of playoff-bound Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference clubs.

Finishing that first offensive flourish was a big deal for Leavitt, which did everything but thump the back of the cage in a rain-soaked, scoreless deadlock with previously unbeaten and untied Waterville on Saturday.

The Hornets dominated that matinee, only to have one goal disallowed due to an inadvertent whistle and another taken away when a defender dove toward the cage and kept the ball from crossing the goal line by inches.

“We’ve been a little bit sick and injured,” said Leavitt coach Wanda Ward-MacLean. “We’re just starting to get everybody back together.”

It showed. Leavitt (7-2-1) defended its current ranking of No. 3 in Western Class B by thoroughly dominating a Winslow team that’s in contention for one of the top four seeds in the upcoming Eastern playoffs.

Goalkeeper Kristen Capen faced only one shot on goal, while her Hornets officially cranked out a dozen and had at least the same number of chances broken up within point-blank range of Winslow keeper Emma Wallers.

Those extended possessions led to numerous penalty corners and long hits. Each Leavitt goal was the direct result of a free excursion in the Winslow defensive zone.

“I think we passed the ball really well,” Swett said. “We’re a really close team. Even though we communicate well on the field, we kind of know where everyone else is going to be without even talking.”

The Black Raiders (6-4) fought off one of Leavitt’s first corners, but the continuing action left Doiron in perfect position for a pinpoint pass from right-to-left by Briana Youland. Doiron’s goal put Leavitt on top at 11:23.

Swett needed just over a minute after intermission to tack on her first insurance goal.

She took the initial hit on the corner. Katelyn Beeckel whiffed on her first shot from the edge of the goal area but then rifled a crisp pass to Doiron. Wallers charged to deny Doiron’s shot, and Swett alertly re-directed it to the goalie’s right at 1:09.

Youland registered her second assist on a free hit from the far sideline with 4:30 remaining. Swett spotted up in the heart of the Winslow defense and delivered the deflection.

“We have really good chemistry,” said Swett, whose Hornets face three more pivotal games in the next week against Rockland, Belfast and Maranacook.

Winslow applied its hardest pressure over the final 10 minutes, but Caroline Bochtler and Megan Miller directed the Leavitt defensive charge that broke up most of the scoring bids and kept the Raiders away from Capen.