The top two teams in Eastern Maine Class A girls lacrosse will square off Friday in Augusta, when Cony (5-0) hosts Brunswick (4-0) in the first of two meetings over the final three weeks of the regular season.

After fashioning an unblemished record through five games, the Rams are ready to jump into the toughest part of their schedule with games against the top rated teams in Eastern A and B.

Friday’s game with the Dragons gives the Rams their first look at the No. 1 team in the East, a team that could pose serious problems for Cony and its fast-paced transition game.

“Against Brunswick, possession will be a key,” Cony coach Gretchen Livingston said. “Draw controls and ground balls are going to be huge.”

Livingston has been pleased with how the Rams have played leading up to the Brunswick game and feels Cony is ready to face a stiff test.

“Brunswick will be our toughest game, so far,” she said. “We are going with what we have, I don’t want to fix what’s not broken.”

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Cony features two of the highest scoring midfield attack players in the state in Mia Diplock and Chelsea Begin, the duo have been a handful for any defense to handle this season.

“We have shown a lot of players, playing with versatility this season,” Livingston said. “Mia and Chelsea have been our leaders on offense but we have a lot of people who have been helping out with consistency all over the field.”

Game time is 4 p.m.

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Rain created a major problem for the Gardiner boys lacrosse team, who have played just three games this season. Monday, the Tigers got back on track with a win over Morse, their first game in nearly two weeks.

Gardiner (4-0) will play two more games this week, in an effort to get back on track with their schedule.

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“Hopefully, we’re not stale,” Gardiner coach KC Johnson said. “From what I’ve seen I think we are hungry.”

The Tigers have spent most of their down time practicing in the gym, which keeps the game more compact leaving a lot to be desired in keeping the transition game in shape.

“We’ve been doing drills that involve keeping the ball moving, a little fitness and some fun stuff,” Johnson said. “It’s time though. The kids are ready to play.”

After Monday’s game against Morse, Gardiner will face a vastly improved Camden Hills on the road Wednesday and host dangerous Lincoln on Saturday.

“It’s a tough week for us,” Johnson said. “We will need to get our passing game going and really work on our penalties down situations.”

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The Mt. Blue boys lacrosse team, which has lost six straight games this season, were down to 13 players for the opening game and have yet to score in double figures or hold opponents to single digits.

But in recent weeks the numbers on the team have increased, a middle school program has been initiated by the local recreation department and the players are starting to show positive signs of improvement.

“Nobody likes losing,” Mt. Blue junior Calan Lucas, who leads a young Cougar squad from his defensive position. “We are a young team, we have fun in practice and we are getting better.”

On most days, the Cougars start three and sometimes four freshmen, players who have never picked up a stick until this season. Additionally, Mt. Blue features just one senior, thus returning a large number of players for next year.

“The guys we have on the team really love playing lacrosse,” Lucas said. “We have an excellent group of eighth graders ready to move in next year, so I think we will be OK.”

In a recent home game with Mountain Valley, the Cougars were solid early, pressing forward into the Falcons end of the field while keeping the game close throughout the first half, eventually losing 10-3.

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“We were playing great against Mountain Valley,” Lucas said. “There is always next week and the next game, it’s crazy but we love playing.”

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Wednesday afternoon the Messalonskee (4-2) boys lacrosse team will host Mt. Ararat (3-1) in a 4 p.m. game that will be a critical matchup for both teams. Mt. Ararat beat Messalonskee in the season opener 9-6 in Topsham.

Messalonskee has won four straight games after opening the season with a two losses. The Eagles will be led by all-time leading scorer Nate DelGiudice in a must-win game for both teams with a home playoff game possibly resting in the balance.


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