BATH — After opening with a 4-1 loss to Mt. View, the Leavitt High School field hockey team was intent on getting into the win column when the Hornets visited McMann Field to take on rebuilding Morse, also 0-1 but coming off a close 2-1 setback to Lincoln Academy.

Leavitt did just about everything right, getting three points each from Sadie Royer and Allie Belaire in a 9-1 Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference win.

The Hornets controlled the game from the outset, outshooting the Shipbuilders (0-2) 15-0 in the first half and claiming a 3-0 lead.

“We were making a lot of nice passes, moving the ball, much better than the other day, and the kids were following the ball well,” said Leavitt (1-1) coach Wanda Ward-MacLean, whose Hornets will host Maranacook on Thursday. “Defensively, we played much better today.”

“We played like a team and everyone was a family today,” said Belaire, who dished out two assists and added the game’s first goal. “Our first loss fired us up, and we just wanted to win this game. We have a 2-3-2 setup, so some of us go wide and we made some good passes today.”

A goal each by Royer and Ashley Mathieu, assisted by Belaire, staked Leavitt to the halftime lead.

Getting interesting

Morse showed its grit seven minutes into the second half, closing to within two goals. Korallei Fifield sent a long pass forward that bounced behind the stout Leavitt defense led by Kaitlyn Leclerc, Chantel Eells and Kaitlyn DeBlois. Julia Hart gathered the pass and in one motion swept a shot past Leavitt goaltender Ashley Black.

“Julia is awesome, and she really carries that right side,” Morse coach Stephanie Pinkham said. “Julia is one of our strongest links, along with Allison (Plummer) and defensively with Korallei in the back.”

“We had a little lapse defensively, with the kids not rotating back. It is important for the kids to play the whole game, and that it isn’t over until it is over,” Ward-MacLean said.

But, Leavitt was having none of Morse’s comeback hopes, claiming control with three goals in 1:40, two by Royer for the hat trick and one off the stick of Leclerc.

“Sadie has to lead up there, and today she made some nice passes and really cut well to the ball,” Ward-MacLean of Royer said. “Allie, first year on varsity, is making an improvement.”

With a comfortable 6-1 advantage, Leavitt continued to press, getting two goals from Addie Gagnon and one from Kierstin Leclerc to close out the scoring.

“We had a lot of players do a nice job up front, the two Leclerc kids (Kaitlyn and Kierstin), Addie Gagnon popping those last two in. She was just following,” Ward-MacLean said.

Pinkham challenged her players to come up with ways to improve as her team moves forward.

“They let it get to them mentally, and I expected them to come out and play the best they could, play skilled field hockey, and my expectations are more than this,” said Pinkham, whose Shipbuilders travel to Gardiner on Thursday. “We are going to have a good practice, and I have asked my players to write down the three positive things they did well today and the three things that they need to work on.”

Morse starting goaltender Bryanna Ringrose had 20 saves on 26 Leavitt shots before she was relieved in net by Madaleine Baker, who turned aside four shots. Leavitt outshot Morse 33-1 and held an 8-2 edge in penalty corners.

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