BANGOR, Maine — New coach, same results.
Gina (Dinan) Davis is the new field hockey coach at Skowhegan High, replacing multi-Hall of Famer and 20-time State Class A champion coach Paula Doughty, and her River Hawks haven’t missed a beat.
Skowhegan posted an impressive 6-0 victory over previously unbeaten Bangor High at Cameron Stadium on Monday afternoon.
Sophomore forward Kaitlyn Dufour had a hat trick and senior forward Faith Pease had a goal and two assists for the River Hawks, who improved to 3-0 and have yet to allow a goal.
Senior midfielder Charlotte Haynie had a goal and an assist and senior forward Kayori Kenyon had the other goal for the winners.
The veteran and talented River Hawk team, with 10 seniors on its roster, attempted 30 shots and Bangor sophomore goalie Lillianne Ouellette turned in an outstanding 19-save performance.
Ouellette is one of five players from Bangor’s John Bapst High School on the Ram roster.
Bangor did not register a shot but defended admirably and made the River Hawks work for their goals.
The youthful Rams, who are now 3-1 after going 1-12-1 a year ago, have just four seniors and only two of them were starters.
Speedy junior Emery Higgins had Bangor’s best scoring chance with a long sprint down the left wing in the first half but just as she began to dart across into the circle, Skowhegan junior back Makayla Quimby did an exceptional job cutting her off and stealing the ball before she could shoot.
“It was definitely a good win for us. We just have to keep it rolling,” said Pease, one of the four Skowhegan captains.
After a scoreless first period, Haynie opened the scoring just 46 seconds into the second quarter when she was set up nicely on the left side of the circle by Lauren Nunn and wasted little time unleashing a shot that found the back of the cage.
Dufour extended the lead 3:53 later with an unassisted tally.
She fired an elevated reverse hit into the upper short side corner.
Dufour scored again with 4:54 left in the half by pouncing on the rebound of a Pease shot and flipping it home.
Dufour finished off her hat trick just 16 seconds into the third quarter with a clever move in the circle and an unstoppable shot into the roof of the cage.
“She can find the cage,” said Davis about Dufour.
Dufour credited her teammates for making her hat trick possible.
“I had a bunch of help. Everyone cooperates together perfectly,” said Dufour.
Skowhegan added two more goals in the third period as Pease fed a pass across to the far post to Kenyon, who tapped it into the empty net, and Haynie passed across the front of the cage to Pease for a similar goal.
Skowhegan swarmed the ball with relentless pressure and created scoring opportunities by forcing turnovers and transitioning quickly into the attack. The River Hawks also sent long hits into the Bangor circle and were able to use their outstanding stick skills to stop the ball, control it and get off a shot.
Bangor coach Leah McBreairty was encouraged by her team’s performance.
Skowhegan beat Bangor 13-0 last season.
“We held them scoreless in the first and the fourth quarters. It’s great to know you can hold a talented team like Skowhegan scoreless in a quarter and we can build on that,” said McBreairty.
The two teams will return to action on Wednesday at 4 as Bangor will travel to Rockport to face Camden Hills and Skowhegan will entertain Hampden Academy/Mt. View of Thorndike.