BETHEL – Weather conditions at Telstar Regional High School’s scenic, hilltop field hockey home were nicely suited Thursday for the standard Gatorade shower. Maybe even a postgame picnic.

Instead, the No. 1 Rebels elected to toast their 5-0 Western Class C quarterfinal victory over No. 8 Livermore Falls with sparkling cider and doughnut holes.

If either type of celebration seems over-the-top for a first-round playoff victory, you aren’t seeing the postseason from unbeaten Telstar’s perspective.

One year after entering the tournament as the second seed and getting bounced by a seventh-ranked Mountain Valley Conference rival, the Rebels (15-0) are no respecter of persons. One win is every bit as precious as the never-guaranteed next.

“We knew what happened last year in the first playoff game,” said Whitney Mills, “and we didn’t want it to happen again.”

Mills and Chelsea Bean each scored two goals, with six different players registering a point to help Telstar trip up Livermore Falls (6-9) for the third time this season.

Telstar’s quest for a third regional title in four years continues at 2 p.m. Saturday against No. 4 St. Dom’s.

The quick start is a far cry from last season’s sudden finish. Telstar never got a chance to play its anticipated showdown with the Andies in the 2006 semifinals after Lisbon rolled into town and played the spoiler.

“Yeah, we lost 3-1,” said Telstar coach Gail Wight. “And it’s a lot of returning players, so they remember.”

Four goals in a span of less than eight minutes erased any worries of another premature exit.

Mills struck first, redirecting the ball past Livermore Falls goalkeeper Caylee Morris at 18:55 after Josie Reiss and Amber Morin each had an equally good look at the back of the cage.

Bean made it 2-0 with 9:40 remaining in the half. Bailey Davis delivered the first of her two assists with a crisp pass from left to right, and Bean found a seam inside the near post with a reverse stick.

“We were really strong out there in the first half. That was our goal,” Bean said. “I think once we score everyone just gets really pumped up, so our intensity picks up.”

Reiss got into the act with five minutes left, flagging down Mills’ feed from just outside the right edge of the circle and finding the target. Just over a minute later, Bean batted home a rebound after Morris (11 saves) kicked out the initial bid by Davis.

Telstar swarmed its playmakers to the ball on nearly every legitimate scoring opportunity during that productive window. It led to a lengthy team conversation with the statistician at halftime, as the Rebels attempted to sort out who scored what, and when.

“We’ve got six people that score. And they don’t care so long as somebody scores,” Wight said. “They don’t feed one person. It goes in and whoever scores, scores.”

Mills took another turn at 15:36 of the second half, T.J. Cowin assisting.

Vicki Rice, Julia Stambolis, Andrea Gunther and Sarah Field led the Telstar defense in front of goalkeeper Brianna Douglass, fighting off four Livermore Falls penalty corners in the first half.

Whitney McDaniel and Brittany Souther, two veterans from last year’s explosive Livermore Falls squad, created a few anxious moments in the Rebels’ defensive zone.

“Livermore had some nice aggressive plays,” Wight said. “They cut us off from the ball a few times.”

Last year’s surprise against an MVC foe notwithstanding, the Rebels were comforted to see familiar faces in the opening round.

“It’s an advantage if you’ve played them before,” said Mills. “You know who does what, if they play up the middle or the sides, and you take advantage of that.”