OAKLAND — There was no question who the better team was Saturday morning. The Greely boys lacrosse team drew better, passed better, shot better and … well, did everything better than Messalonskee in a 17-1 victory on Saturday afternoon.

The best way to improve, however, as Eagles coach Tom Sheridan pointed out, is by playing good teams. And the Rangers, a Class B state finalist last season, are certainly that.

“It’s getting used to the level and speed of play, and it’s a process,” said Sheridan, whose team fell to 1-3. “We’re still not where we want to be yet, but we’re working every day. … We want to keep getting better as a team, and you only get better by going against really good teams.”

It was a rematch of last year’s Class B semifinal, won 16-11 by Greely, and it was never close. Ethan Fraser had five goals, Schuyler Wetmore (three assists) and Peter Lattanzi (one assist) scored three apiece and Andrew Lawrence (three assists) had two for the Rangers, who had a goal on the board nine seconds in, were up 8-0 after one quarter and 14-0 after one half.

“They have a good program with a good coach,” said coach Michael Storey, whose team improved to 3-1. “We were really looking to work as a cohesive unit and move the ball. Our focus was on us, running our offense and doing what we need to do to play well.”

Josh Languet had the only goal and Ben Lamontagne made eight saves for the Eagles, who were without faceoff specialist Trevor Norton and starting goalie Wade Carter, and who have been going through the early transitional pains of a team that lost 12 seniors, returns only two starters and has 11 freshmen and sophomores on the varsity roster.

Because of that youthful mix, Sheridan has optimism that his team’s fortunes will change.

“If we were senior-laden, if we were (like) last year and we were 1-3, I’d have been like ‘What’s going on?’ ” he said. “These guys are getting better every game, and that’s what you want. It’s tough taking it like this … but we’re young across the board.”

A game like Saturday’s gives a growing team like the Eagles a chance to see, up close, where their biggest flaws are.

“We were there, we just need to be one step quicker and know what to do in those situations,” Sheridan said, “and you only get that when you go against good teams.”

There’s precedent to suggest Messalonskee can make those corrections. Last year, Messalonskee got hammered by Greely 18-8, then played the Rangers far more closely in the playoff rematch.

“If we keep hustling and getting after it,” senior midfielder Cam Goff said, “then by the end of the season, if we see them again, I think it’s going to be a different outcome.”

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