LEWISTON — The first key to establishing a winning culture? Win a game.

So far, so good for the Lewiston Blue Devils’ field hockey squad.

Natalie Rousseau and Jenessa Talarico netter a pair of goals each and Kelsey Dumond added a goal and an assist as Lewiston earned a 5-2 victory in its season-opening tilt against visiting Bangor at the Franklin Athletic Complex on Saturday.

“It’s a great way to start the season,” Lewiston first-year coach Bre Allard said. “I’m pumped, I know the girls are pumped. To start with a win, it’s a great change, to start us in the right direction. We’re trying to turn over a new leaf with the program, we’re a new team, it’s a new season, it’s a great start.”

The early-season battle between a pair of young teams hoping to claw their way through the standings this season was a good way for both teams to gauge what they had in a varsity game, with so many underclassmen throughout both rosters.

“We have a lot of things to work on, but we’re in the place we want to be,” first-year Bangor coach Kasey Danforth said. “Learning as a young team, it’s not all upperclassmen, and we’re new, too. We’re all learning this season together.”

The Blue Devils flexed their strength — their speed — early in the contest. The teams spent the majority of the first 15 minutes of the game in the Rams’ end, and the first five shots of the game came from Lewiston sticks in the direction of Bangor’s freshman keeper, Rachel Luc.

With the pressure, Lewiston also struck first on the scoreboard. Talarico netted the Devils’ first goal of the season only 2:48 into the contest, capitalizing on a bevy of bodies in front of the cage to sneak a dribbler past Luc.

Eight minutes later, Rousseau left little doubt with her drive. On the dribble up the right side, she entered the circle, stopped and fired a blast through everyone and past Luc for a 2-0 Lewiston advantage.

“I hope she’ll be a huge intimidating factor out there for us this year,” Allard said.

Bangor twice cut the lead to one as the Rams attempted to get back into the contest. Rachel Douglas redirected a feed from Rachelle Sullivan on a 2-on-1 to pull Bangor within one with 12:02 to play in the first half, but Talarico responded less than two minutes later on a rebound in front of the cage.

“The girls are really talking this year about keeping it positive,” Allard said. “Not letting down, not getting discouraged is important. In the past, they would really drop, after a goal or after a mistake. Now, there’s more encouragement, and they’re reminding each other to stay positive.”

Bangor again cut the lead to one with 2:10 to play in the half on a Katherine Dionne tally, only to have the Devils again go in front by two in the opening moments of the second half when Dumond swept the ball in on her backhand.

“We have a lot of talented players on that front line, and I am really hoping we have a lot more scoring opportunities this season,” Allard said, “with Natalie driving in like that, Kelsey supporting, Marissa Zanoni, as well, has a good, strong hit.”

Rousseau added another laser from distance with 10:48 remaining to cinch the victory.