The Lake Region girls field hockey team was still venting the frustration of a double-overtime loss to York last week.
First it was Greely that paid the price, then Fryeburg Academy. And Monday, the Lakers took it out on the Cape Elizabeth girls in a 7-0 win at home.
The Lakers finally got their rematch with York Wednesday and got only half satisfaction, battling to a 1-1 tie through double overtime.
But the Capers caught the full fury of Lake Region field hockey.
Cape, which won only twice last season, was off to a terrific start this fall. Coach Lori Broadhurst’s girls had a 4-1 record with four shutouts going into the weekend. But they also ran into the red hot York team, losing on Saturday, 2-0. Having to face Lake Region with only one (non-practice) day in between was too much to handle, the coach said.
The Lakers, who improved to 6-1, are chock full of talented, aggressive players, but the hot scoring hand lately has belonged to junior Kelsey Powers. She scored four times Monday.
Meanwhile, Lake Region allowed Cape zero shots on goal, keeping the pressure in its offensive zone throughout the game.
And a frightening warning to future foes of the Lakers. Coach Dagny Leland believes this team has yet to peak.
“I still think we have more in us,” Leland said Monday. “The girls are playing very well. They are passing the ball and starting to work together. They are learning where they need to be.
“We’ve been patient and very aggressive to the ball,” the Lakers coach said. “That ‘s what we are, a very aggressive team.”
And team play works a lot better when the individual skill level is as high as it is on this squad.
“We have some quick strikers and excellent midfielders, and the defense is coming on strong,” said Leland. “We work on the fundamentals every day, and it pays off. These girls want to be good.”
Lindsay Ward scored a pair of goals Monday, and Rachel Hill added another for Lake Region.
Ward said that, on top of everything else, her team is becoming more united.
“We are doing a lot of bonding,” she said, adding that slow starts have been a problem for the team early on.
“We are not really coming out strong in the first half,” she said. “It takes us a while to settle down.”
After falling to York 3-2 in the second overtime last Tuesday, the Lakers handed Greely its first loss of the year, 4-1, then ran down Fryeburg Academy Saturday.
Cape, meanwhile has been moving the ball well this season, but finding few goals, though co-captain Hanna Landis has had a bit of a scoring touch early on.
Landis scored the only goal in Cape Elizabeth’s season opener at Yarmouth, had two goals in a 2-0 win over Wells, and added another pair in a 4-0 win at home against Gray-New Gloucester. Meanwhile Meghan Mowles didn’t allow a goal in the team’s first three games and had another shutout in game five, a 2-0 win over Poland.
“I think our girls are doing much better than last season,” said Broadhurst, whose team was to play at Waynflete Wednesday. “They are working more as a team.
“They are doing more passing, as opposed to just driving down the field and running,” she said. “We’re trying to be more offensive-minded and trying to create more scoring opportunities.”
Cape hosts Fryeburg Academy at home Saturday, at 12:30 p.m.
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