Girls lacrosse: Gray-New Gloucester/Poland pummels St. Dom’s/Oak Hill

GRAY — A big first quarter paced Gray-New Gloucester/Poland past St. Dom’s/Oak Hill in a girls lacrosse matchup Thursday.

The 26ers scored eight times in the opening 12 minutes in a 15-6 victory over the Saints.

“That first quarter, we had the most amazing connections with one another, to know where each other would be,” Gray-New Gloucester/Poland’s Emma MacMahon said. “I think that’s how the season goes. Throughout the season, you are going to develop that, just knowing where people are going to play. So that’s a big part of it for our first quarter; we are trying to attack it.”

MacMahon finished with four goals. Teammate Amelia Foster scored a game-high five, including four in the opening quarter.

“We came into this (game) riled up,” Foster said. “This win really meant a lot to us, and we are ready for tomorrow’s game. We hope Fryeburg is ready for us.”

The 26ers (2-6) play at Fryeburg (2-4) on Friday.

St. Dom’s scored five of their six goals in the second half.

“They had a much better second half, and I think they were starting to move the ball,” Saints coach Denis D’Auteuil said. “Overall, the team is growing and improving in the ball moving and putting shots on the net. I am really proud of the girls, with the hustle and hard work to continue to grind these out.”

Foster opened the scoring in the first minute to give the 26ers a 1-0 lead before Anna Theriault evened the game for the Saints just past the two-minute mark.

Samantha Poulin attacked the cage to give the 26ers a 2-1 lead. Foster scored the next two goals, including receiving a pass from Poulin on a free-position opportunity.

“For me to get my first goal, second goal, third goal, it really set the tone,” Foster said. “It really feels good because it shows the other team we are ready, and we are ready for them and we were ready as a team.”

“We had some great opportunities and we were able to capitalize on them,” 26ers coach Melissa Anderson said.

MacMahon and Christy Mason each potted a tally for a 6-1 advantage.

“I kind of saw the open-net opportunities as much as the passing,” MacMahon said. “I do try to keep a level mind and my eyes open to whose open. If I have that chance. I have to take it.

Poulin notched her second goal on a drive to the net when she received a pass from Mason the fired a point-blank shot into the net.

Foster put a shot past Saints goalie Abby Titus right before the end of the first quarter for an 8-1 lead.

Gray-New Gloucester/Poland’s Hailey Carson, who had an assist in the first quarter, scored the opening two goals in the second period.

Foster picked up her fifth, and back-to-back goals by MacMahon gave the 26ers a 13-1 lead midway through the second quarter.

Foster and other starters exited the game midway through the second quarter.

“I was excited for other players to get opportunities who don’t play as much,” Foster said. “To get in and get more opportunities and more experience. Honestly, I am fine with it; I was cheering them on from the sideline and they were doing amazing.”

St. Dom’s/Oak Hill (0-8) had a free-position chance in the final minute of the second quarter but couldn’t get a shot on goal.

The Saints created some offense early in the third quarter when Emma Smith beat 26ers reserve goalie Lilah Thompson with two straight goals to cut the deficit to 13-3.

“Emma had a great game, really solid,” D’Auteuil said. “She’s a captain, and she led our team today.”

Titus shut out the 26ers in the third quarter, including a point-blank stop on Mason in the final seconds of the period.

The 26ers scored early in the fourth quarter when MacMahon converted on a free-position shot for her fourth tally of the contest.

Smith scored on a breakaway when her bounce shot beat Thompson. Ava Martin got the Saints within 14-5.

Smith scored with under a minute for her fourth of the game. Olivia Moore capped the scoring for the 26ers for the 15-6 advantage.

“They took some opportunities we gave them,” Anderson said of the Saints. “That was well-played on them. We used it as a learning experience for those players. What we will do is we will review it and see how we can improve on it.”