AUGUSTA — For much of the girls lacrosse season, the top team in Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A was a tad too difficult to identify.

It’s pretty clear today.

Junior Sydney Gagne scored four goals and an assist and Messalonskee parlayed a dominant second half into a statement-making 11-4 win over rival Cony on Tuesday afternoon .

“There’s been a lot of talk about how much parody there is in this league,” Messalonskee coach Ashley Pullen said. “We’ve heard how there is a cluster at the top of the league, that there is no leader. We didn’t want there to be any question who is the best team in the KVAC.”

That honor, at least for now, goes to the perfect Eagles (8-0), who dispatched the Rams (5-3) for a second time this season.

Messalonskee squeaked out a 10-9 victory in the first meeting April 25.

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The rematch wasn’t nearly as close.

Kristy Bernatchez and Kristen Kern each scored a pair of goals while Allison Fischang finished with a goal and two assists to pace the Eagles as well.

Messalonskee led just 3-2 with just under 10 minutes left in the first half, but then erupted for three quick goals in a three-minute span to take charge of the game.

“We wanted to show the East that we are a contender for the playoffs,” Bernatchez said. “We wanted to make a statement. We wanted to come out strong in the second half, too. In the first half we did OK, but we weren’t completing all our passes. In the second half, we started connecting.”

Junior Mikayla Turner and Bernatchez scored about two minutes apart early in the second half to push the lead to 8-3. Bernatchez’s goal came on a laser of a shot from about 10 yards out after she took a nice pass from Fischang.

“I usually try to draw the goalie one way and shoot the other,” Bernatchez said.

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Nathalie St. Pierre and Kern scored near the midway point of the second half to give the Eagles a comfortable 10-3 lead.

“We felt Messalonskee played with more heart and with more confidence,” Cony coach Gretchen Livingston said. “They were just more aggressive right from the first whistle. We played panicked and we never really got out of panic mode. We had some sparks but we didn’t take advantage of all our opportunities.”

Becca Coniff led Cony with a goal and an assist. Josie Lee, Haley Hanks and Emily Quirion also scored for Cony.

“We just didn’t capitalize,” Livingston added. “(Messalonskee) did some nice things with the ball.”

Izzy Skinner was tremendous in net for Messalonskee. She had 10 saves, including several from point-blank range.

“It was close-ish in the first half,” Pullen said. “We did a better job of ball movement in the second half. Cony is still dangerous. It can attack in just seconds, but Izzy was just huge for us.”

Bill Stewart — 621-5640

bstewart@centralmaine.com


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