BRUNSWICK — When the Brunswick High School girls lacrosse team plays game No. 2 on Tuesday at Lewiston, first-year Dragons coach Alex Sullivan will have nearly her full compliment of players.

However, in the teams’ opener Thursday, Sullivan’s shorthanded squad started slow and fell to the athletic Blue Devils, 12-8.

“We were down three of our starters, and especially our defensive presence,” Sullivan said. “We have been working so hard for the past four weeks and the girls were jazzed up and ready to go.”

Lewiston used a four-goal run early in the first half to take control. Midfielders Kristina Blais and Morgan Eliasen handled the all-important draw controls, with Lewiston holding a 14-7 edge in the contest, leading to a large advantage in possession time.

“Kristina Blais and Morgan Eliasen are very good on the draws, and that is key,” Lewiston (1-0) second-year coach Skip Capone said. “It allowed us to run off four goals in a row. It is a lot easier to play from in front. It allowed us to relax.”

Emily Brochu led Lewiston with five goals, with Blais adding three goals and an assist. Eliasen and Dacia Bail chipped in two tallies apiece.

“We took a big step forward today, and it is big for us to start on a positive note,” said Capone, whose squad will host the Dragons in its home opener Tuesday at 6 p.m. “Our goal is to get better every day. We have three or four girls who played on a good Lewiston soccer team, several hockey players, and basketball is improving. Our women’s program has really taken a big step forward in the last few years.”

“We were excited to get out here after working hard,” Brochu said. “We were excited to play Brunswick. We really worked hard on defense, and our transition was very good. We had good patience, and that allowed us to cut well. We expect to do well. We really want it.”

Brunswick (0-1) goaltender EmaLeigh Aschbrenner turned aside a Haley Lebel shot right out of the gate. The Dragons gained possession and quickly transitioned to offense, with Anna McMillan slipping a shot past Lewiston goaltender Paige Fontaine (five saves) for a 1-0 lead.

But, Lewiston had an answer. Possessing the ball for most of the next three minutes, the Blue Devils went on a four-goal run. Brochu started things with a pair of goals 36 seconds apart, followed by an Eliasen free-position goal and a score by Blais for a 4-1 lead.

After Brunswick’s Angelica Boyle put home a pass from Sarah Judd, Lewiston received a goal each from Bail, Brochu and Eliasen for a 7-2 edge, with the Blue Devils holding an 8-3 advantage at the break.

Brunswick began to find its game in the second half. Led by McMillan, the Dragons outscored Lewiston, 5-4. McMillan finished with a team-high four goals, with Boyle adding two goals and a helper, while Judd had a goal and an assist. Sydney Anderson added a late score.

“In the second half, we fell into our game and the girls realized that this was our field and our game,” said Sullivan, who feels with a near full squad and a few days to prepare, the Dragons will be more prepared come Tuesday. “We know their style of play now and will alter our game and adjust. Lewiston has a very settled attack, a huge team that they can rely on.”

“We played well, but the first half was a new feeling,” McMillan said. “We got used to it and played much better in the second half. We all know our strengths and weaknesses, so we just need to work on our communication.”

Aschbrenner finished with 13 saves in Brunswick’s cage, while Judd led the way with five ground balls and two interceptions.

For Lewiston, Allison Frechette had a game-high six ground balls, with Brochu and Eliasen adding three each.

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