Edward Little goalie Elise Syphers tries to make a diving save against Lewiston’s Cecilia Miller, left, while Ahna Dostie (30) looks on during a game in Lewiston on Saturday. Wil Kramlich/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

LEWISTON — What better time to put together a complete game than at home against a rival?

That was Lewiston on Saturday when it hosted Edward Little in field hockey. The Blue Devils found a rare scoring touch, controlled play in the midfield, and played shutdown defense in a 3-0 victory at Don Roux Field.

“I’m so proud of them,” Lewiston coach Chelsea Fournier said. “Didn’t hit (goalie Cece Landry) at all, it was great, we love that. And we controlled the ball in their defensive end, in our offensive end.

Edward Little goalie Elise Syphers tries to make a diving save against Lewiston’s Cecilia Miller, left, while Ahna Dostie (30) looks on during a game game in Lewiston on Saturday. Wil Kramlich/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

“I can’t even express how happy I am. I’m so proud because they played the way today that I know they can play all the time, and they did, they just put it together, and I’ve never been more proud of them.”

First, the Blue Devils (2-7) had to get the ball past Red Eddies (1-7-1) goalie Elise Syphers, who stopped the first four shots she faced, and EL senior defender Miranda Chadbourne stopped another.

Emma Begin finally got one past Syphers, taking a feed from Abby Chartier and flinging an open shot from the middle of the zone into the back of the cage with 12 minutes left in the first half.

The opening goal came five minutes after Edward Little’s one and only scoring chance. Courtney Larson’s drive into the zone resulted in the Red Eddies’ lone corner, but that opportunity fizzled.

“I think that sometimes they’re overthinking the strategy, and not necessarily playing in the moment, I guess,” EL coach Kim Joler said. “If that corner doesn’t work the way it was intended to, (the players must) just kind of make something happen.”

Chartier doubled the Blue Devils’ lead with less than three minutes left in the first half when her shot from just inside the semicircle deflected in off a defender.

Lewiston’s Cecilia Miller (13) celebrates her second-half goal during a game against Edward Little in Lewiston on Saturday. Wil Kramlich/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

The talk at the Lewiston bench at halftime was about wanting more.

“At halftime, we said, ‘This is usually where we start to break down, and this is usually where the other team comes back. We are usually a one-half team. You have to make it a whole game, right? We can’t just break down, we can’t just let them do their thing, we have to play better this half,'” Fournier said.

The offensive attack that sent 11 shots on goal in the first half wasn’t as prolific for Lewiston in the second half, but pressuring the Edward Little end, as well as dominating possession, was a recipe for success.

The Blue Devils did add an insurance goal in the final five minutes of the game. Cecilia Miller scored on Lewiston’s seventh and final penalty corner after initially being denied by Syphers.

“We have trouble scoring in any realm, and we get a lot of corners. We don’t score on them, either,” Fournier said. “It was really relieving, to be honest. It was really relieving to see that. And I think the girls were just as happy, and just as proud, because we spent like 30 minutes yesterday just on corners.”

Syphers made 13 saves in the game.

“She did really well, and she pushes forward, and she makes some amazing saves,” Joler said. “We just need to get over offensively.”