LEWISTON — With one quick rush, Lewiston’s Kasey Talarico set the tone of Wednesday’s field hockey game against Oxford Hills, though not in the manner a Lewiston partisan might expect.

Talarico nearly gave Lewiston a quick lead to start the season, but her bid for a goal was broken up. Instead, the scoring threat served as a call to order for Oxford Hills. The Vikings quickly responded and seized control of the game.

“Once we see the other team come out strong, then we come on stronger,” sophomore forward Haley Wakefield said. “We just use the skills that we’ve learned and work as a team. When we communicate, it just helps that much more.”

Lewiston only had one other threat in the first half while Oxford Hills struck three times, including one with 51 seconds left in the half. The Vikings never looked back in a 7-0 win to open the fall season.

“I’m very excited,” Wakefield said. “I’ve been looking forward to this game. I knew we’re a really good team this year. I knew that we’d come out really strong.”

Wakefield scored three goals. Whitney Morse added a pair. Erin Morton and Erika Whitman also scored for the Vikings. Abby Angevine had a pair of assists.

“Lewiston is a good team, but we were able to use all of our players,” said Oxford Hills coach Cindy Goddard. “We have some players that were a little hurt or are a little young. So it was nice that we were able to utilize everyone.”

The Blue Devils had that great rush by Talarico early. She also had a cross from the right side that couldn’t be put in at the far side of the goal. Lewiston was outshot 13-3 in the first half and 30-6 overall.

“They worked us hard,” Lewiston’s Taylor Collins, a senior defender, said. “They worked us to the max, but we didn’t give up.”

Lewiston was able to generate a little more offense in the second half and played hard but Oxford Hills proved too much.

“I think they’re an older and more skilled team,” Lewiston senior defender Margaruette Seguin said. “We’re a lot younger, with only four seniors.”

After that initial threat at the other end, Oxford Hills was able to control the ball and pressure Lewiston’s defense.  The Vikings got the first goal at 5:41 when Morton fired a shot from the right side for the 1-0 lead.

“When we score that goal, it really gets up pumped up,” Wakefield said.

Then with 13:38 left in the half, Bailey Wood sent the ball forward to Wakefield in front. She put it home for the 2-0 advantage. She struck again with 51 seconds left in the half with a wrister from the left side.

The coaching staff noticed the team looked a little flat during warmups and challenged them to make something happen early. The Vikings nearly got caught on Talarico’s scoring chance, but the team responded from there.

“We were talking when we came in,” Goddard said of her team’s start. “We scrimmaged Falmouth on Monday. I felt like we were more ready. I think  it was almost like, ‘Oh my God, the season is actually here.’ That was that pressure of being nervous. I didn’t think they came out strong.”

Oxford Hills scored just 50 seconds into the second half. Morse fired one in off the goalie. Angevine and Amber Jenkins had assists on that goal. Then Wakefield scored in front with 20:49 left. Morse scored from a scramble with 13:23 remaining and Whitman capped it off with a goal with 4:06 left. Lewiston defender Calia Coady had saved a goal moments before that final tally.

“She did that three times, at least,” Lewiston coach Randy Richardson said.

Lewiston played tough and never let down, but struggled to possess the ball on a regular basis. Richardson said the Blue Devils needed to win more 50/50 balls and be more consistent with positioning.

“We need to have better control of the ball, and we’re working on that,” Richardson said.

Lewiston goalie Kaylyn Labonte did well in net, making 10 saves against the Vikings steady push. Oxford Hills’ Shannon Fillebrown made two saves while Anna Huff finished off the shutout in goal for the Vikings.

“We lost 11 seniors so I had no idea how we’d do,” said Wakefield, whose team worked diligently during the summer to be ready for this fall. “We’ve started working together really well and we’re looking like a really strong team.”

kmills@sunjournal.com