DIXFIELD – Melissa Briggs scored two goals and Megan Closson one-timed the eventual game-winner home with six minutes remaining as the Boothbay field hockey team held on for a 3-2 triumph against Dirigo at Harlow Park Wednesday afternoon.

Despite being down by two goals, the Cougars put forth a surge and made things interesting. Abby Fenstermacher displayed some nifty stick work and scored an unassisted goal with 1:03 left to play.

“The girls need to continue to work the entire game,” Dirigo coach Gretchen Curtis said. “They can’t afford to take time off and that happened in the second half.

They held back and allowed play to come to them. It just doesn’t work like that.”

Dirigo (3-8) had drawn first blood on a Melissa Bacon goal with 3:58 left in the first half. Holly Knight, had carried the play in on the right side and fired a shot at Seahawk goalie Brittney Dickinson, who had rushed out to cut down the angle.

The ball caromed toward the goal and Bacon sidestepped Boothbay fullback Catlin Cronk. The lead was short-lived, because Briggs scored on a rebound with 1:44 left in the half.

The Cougars remain in playoff contention, however, they will need a win or help in the final week. Boothbay (4-8), which had lost to the Cougars 6-4 on Sept. 9, helped its postseason chances.

“We had focused hard on our backfield play,” Boothbay first-year coach Catherine Hartley said.

“In the second half, we used what we’d been working on. and that was one- or two-touch passing. They weren’t holding onto the ball and that speeds up the play.”

Dirigo goalie Dani Tompkins (13 saves) and fullbacks Kerri Kimball, Caitlynn Dolloff and Tanya Hawk were scrambling to ward off the Seahawk pressure in the second half.

Boothbay’s onslaught eventually paid off when Briggs scored on an assist by Ali Hartley.

Closson’s goal came after a Tompkins’ save. Dirigo’s offense, which had controlled play throughout the first half, failed to get back on track.