BRUNSWICK — Ema Hawkes’ goal less than a minute into the second period put the Eagles ahead for good as they came away with a 2-1 victory over York/Traip Academy/Marshwood in girls Class A North hockey action inside Sidney J. Watson Arena at Bowdoin College.

The win matches last season’s win total and it’s the most for Mt. Ararat/Lisbon/Morse since the 2013/14 team’s five wins. The Eagles are now 3-1 and host Lewiston on Saturday at 5:15 p.m. The Wildcats fell to 0-6.

“It feels great to get to three wins already,” Hawkes said. “It’s cool that we’re the team to reach three wins this early.”

With wins over Biddeford/Thornton/Wells/Sanford (2-1) to open the season and a 5-3 victory over Greely on Saturday, the Eagles were poised for more success against the winless Wildcats.

The puck didn’t cross into the cage until late in the first period when Hannah Hawkes tallied an unassisted goal 13 minutes into the contest, but York quickly evened the score 20 seconds later when Ashley Carney picked up a rebound off a Meagan Wentworth shot and beat Mt. Ararat goalie Greta Marchildon for the goal.

The score remained tied after one period, with each team putting eight shots on net. Marchildon and York goalie Erin Gray each made seven saves. The Eagles killed off a penalty in the first 15 minutes.

Less than a minute into the second period, Ema Hawkes picked up a loose puck in the defensive zone and skated the length of the ice, beating Gray with the eventual game-winner and putting the Eagles ahead 2-1.

“I knew what had to be done before the end of the game, we had to break the tie and play solid defense,” the Eagles’ junior forward said. “We had been talking on the bench to watch the goalie and how she moves down when following a shot. I thought I could fake it one way and beat her the other way and I did.”

Meanwhile, the Eagle defense remained solid, led by junior Breanne Hunter, freshman Mallory Stuart and junior Abigail Lucas, keeping the puck out of the offensive zone for a better part of the second period.

“Defense wins games,” Mt. Ararat coach Jeremy Saxton said. “Our defense this year has really stepped up. They work hard at practice and show up on game day.”

York’s defense also elevated its game in the second, killing off three power plays and keeping the Eagles from adding to their lead. Gray (16 saves) made seven more saves in the period as the score remained 2-1 after 30 minutes of play. Marchildon turned away five shots in the frame.

In the third period, Marchildon was the difference maker, relying on her defense and quick movement between the pipes to secure the victory. The sophomore goalie made seven more saves, not allowing another goal and finishing with 19 saves on the evening.

“Greta saves us big time. She’s a huge part of our team,” Ema Hawkes said.

“Greta has been improving all along,” Saxton said. “She’s building up confidence and we’re confident in putting her out there.”

At 3-1, Saxton likes the progression his team has made thus far.

“This year we have some freshmen that play regularly and we have a junior class with a lot of high-energy, they want the W’s. This team works hard, it’s what we expect and they want to win,” he said. “It’s nice to see that hard work pay off. We may not have played our best game tonight, but it’s always good to come away with a win.”