BETHEL – By the end of field hockey camp last summer, Bailey Davis had an inkling just what kind of juggernaut her Telstar team could be.

“We completely dominated,” said the senior midfielder. “All of us got all-stars. We won the indoor and outdoor championships. We just totally clicked from there. I knew we just had to want it – all of us.”

There were about 10 Rebels participating in that camp at the University of Southern Maine. There were so many Telstar players that they kept that group together. That continuity has bred one potent offensive club that is now shooting for a state championship Saturday at noon at Fitzpatrick Stadium. Telstar meets Foxcroft Academy in hopes of earning its fourth state crown and second in the last four years.

“We were totally bummed last year,” said Davis, whose club lost in the quarterfinals after back-to-back regional titles in 2004 and 2005. “We came out here full force to keep our winning tradition alive at Telstar.”

Part of that has been an offense that has not only been prolific but balanced. After scoring just 37 goals all of last season, the Rebels already boast 80.

“I didn’t think they’d score this many,” admits coach Gail Wight. “I knew having a year’s experience of playing together would show. You don’t often get your whole line coming back. They’ve played with the other (Telstar) teams, and they know what it takes to get there.”

The forward attack of seniors Whitney Mills, Josie Reiss and Chelsea Bean returned in force this year. Mills has nearly matched the team’s output of last year with 31 goals herself. Reiss has 20 while Bean has 14. Davis added nine while being a force in the midfield. Players like sophomores T. J. Cowen and Sam Largess and senior Amber Morin have all chipped in as well.

“It’s partially because we’ve played together for so long,” said Bean. “Obviously, we communicate out there, but we know what each other’s moves are going to be. It makes a huge difference.”

The offense has been so dominant that it overshadows the great work the Rebels’ defense has done in front of goaltender Brianna Douglass. Telstar allowed 24 goals last year but has only surrendered seven this season.

“I just have a bunch of talented athletes right now,” said Wight. “I knew the line was coming back, but they’ve really improved their stickwork and their accuracy. Their shooting as opposed to playing with the ball in the circle, passing it back and forth. They’re crossing the line and shooting.”

This group has been playing together since middle school. In previous years, they didn’t have the opportunity to regularly compete together. As subs for last year’s seniors, they’d get playing time sporadically.

“Bailey would play and then Whitney would play and then me and Josie wouldn’t be playing with Whitney,” said Bean. “It was never all of us playing on the field at the same time.”

Now that group is reunited and has developed a scorer’s touch. The defense has consciously worked the ball to the outside, which not only thwarts the opponent’s attack but also gets the Telstar offense in motion. They’ve found poise and confidence around the net and learned to finish.

“We’ve definitely perfected our deflections, and our whole offensive game has gotten more accurate,” said Davis.

There is so much talent on the team that no one player has to carry the load. The team passes effectively and moves the ball quickly.

“We like to run, and we play simple,” added Davis. “We keep our sticks down, and we score. We get a lot of momentum, and you can’t really stop us.”

Wight recalls one game where her team was blanked for much of regulation but kept pushing. The Rebels’ patience paid off with two goals in the final minutes.

“Other teams would have started to fall apart and gotten frustrated,” said Wight. “Not this bunch. They just kept right on shooting, and they felt, ‘It will go in if we keep right on shooting.'”

The team has also been on a mission. Many of the upper classmen were on the team that won in 2004 and lost in states in 2005. Returning to this stage and carrying on the Telstar legacy has been their goal.

“As a freshman I was like, ‘I don’t think I could ever do that,'” said Bean. “Then just look where I am and the rest of the team. We’ve all grown so much keeping that in mind that we have to be as good as them if not better.”