READFIELD — The Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference field hockey schedule finally rose to Leavitt Area High School’s level of inexperience.

Season-opening wins over Oak Hill and Erskine Academy gave the Hornets’ showcase of sophomores and largely untested juniors and seniors a chance to flex their muscles.

Then the docket got demanding, with a one-sided loss to transplanted Class A power Gardiner and now, Saturday morning, a 3-1 thumping by neighboring Maranacook at McPhedran Field.

“We’re a lot younger this year, and that means sometimes we don’t bring it right at the beginning of a game,” said Leavitt coach Wanda Ward-MacLean. “We have a lot of new kids out there. You forget that after a couple of easier games.”

Maranacook is one of Leavitt’s two shortest trips in a far-flung league, and the Black Bears have emerged as the Hornets’ chief rival.

Nine seniors were ready for the latest renewal from the opening whistle. Meghan Surette and Amanda LaPorte each scored prior to halftime for the Black Bears (3-0). Hannah Criss assisted Surette’s strike, with Nicole Castonguay setting up LaPorte.

“We usually struggle offensively at the beginning of games, so in practice yesterday all we worked on was deflections, deflections, deflections,” LaPorte said. “We all kept our sticks down and did a good job sweeping it into the goal.”

Alaechia Lamoureux continued the onslaught, converting with the help of both Criss and LaPorte less than seven minutes into the second half.

“It’s good to see them come together like that. I thought this would be more of a defensive game, and the girls talked me out of it,” said Maranacook coach Nancy Martin. “They promised me they would play a passing, possession game and not let them have the ball, and they went out and did it.”

Leavitt (2-2) took advantage of its eighth penalty corner of the game to avert the shutout with 14 seconds remaining. Sophomore Morgan Erskine redirected senior Emily Murphy’s bid from the edge of the scoring area.

Erskine is emerging as a scoring threat to fill the void left by her sister, Courtney, who was one of 10 Hornets to graduate after a 12-win season in 2008.

“They were much more aggressive than we were,” Ward-MacLean said. “This has become the rivalry, and (Maranacook was) definitely ready to play.”

Leavitt’s first-year starter in goal, Taylor Eells, made eight saves to help minimize the damage. Megan Dood turned away the first six shots she faced for Maranacook.

The teams will meet again Oct. 8 in Turner.

“We know they’re going to win a lot of games this year,” LaPorte said, “so this is big for us.”

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Leavitt Area High School’s Morgan Erskine, left, and Maranacook High School’s Miranda Savage battle for the ball as Leavitt’s Casey Fichter, right, follows the play during the second half in Readfield on Saturday.

Maranacook’s Meghan Surette, left, and Leavitt Area High School’s Shelby Poland battle for the ball during the second half in Readfield on Saturday.