READFIELD — The Maranacook/Winthrop boys lacrosse has received lots of attention this season for its offense. But it was its defense that impressed in its Class C playoff opener on Saturday.

Junior goalkeeper Lucas Woodruff had eight saves as the No. 1 Hawks beat No. 9 Waynflete 13-5 in a quarterfinal matchup at the Ricky Gibson Field of Dreams. Woodruff and the defense held the Flyers to just three goals until the final minutes of the fourth quarter, when they tallied their final two scores.

The Hawks (14-1) will play No. 4 Morse in the divisional final on Tuesday at Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham. Maranacook/Winthrop still provided plenty of offense against the Flyers, as Ethan Chilton, Owen Lyons and Bennett Ross each had three goals, while Jacob Lyons added two goals. Ross and Owen Lyons each added three assists.

“We’ve gotten everyone involved more (offensively),” said Ross, a senior midfielder. “We don’t have just one or two scorers. We’ve got six, seven or eight scorers. That makes us very versatile.”

Maranacook/Winthrop attack Ethan Chilton celebrates after scoring a goal against Waynflete in a Class C boys lacrosse quarterfinal on Saturday in Readfield. Dave Dyer/Kennebec Journal

Nico Kirby led the Flyers (5-9) with two goals, while Tommy Marston, Fletcher Polsky and Jacob Woodman each tallied scores.

Maranacook/Winthrop jumped out to a 4-1 lead by the end of the first quarter and never looked back, thanks to two goals from Owen Lyons, along with goals by Chilton and Caleb Morgan. The Hawks added three more goals in the second quarter, two which came from Ross, to go into halftime with a 7-2 lead.

Waynflete had the edge on possession multiple times throughout the game, but Woodruff and the Maranacook/Winthrop defense fended off scoring threats.

“I was really happy with the defense,” Ross said. “This game was a little different than some of our past ones. (Waynflete) has a good offense, and our defense really stepped it up to make it easier for the offense. Only letting up five goals is really good for that kind of team.”

“Sometimes in practice you have to tell the defense to chill a little bit, because when they get into a zone, they are unreal,” Maranacook/Winthrop head coach Dan Brannigan said. “Our offense does plenty of heavy lifting, but Lucas Drillen is one of the most underrated poles in the state. It’s crazy, the only senior we have back there is Zach Chapman. The rest of them are juniors or sophomores.”

Brannigan was quick to credit Wayflete’s effort.

“They were a (heck) of a team,” Brannigan said. “It didn’t go their way, but it very easily could have. That top 12 that they have is as good as any we’ve played all year. Skiddy (von Stade) played phenomenal, Fletcher (Polsky), (Jacob) Woodman, the list goes on, and I don’t want to forget Haven (Savory-Kreis) and (Nico) Kirby and (Spencer) Kline. They’re a (heck) of a team, I’m just happy to survive and move on.”

Maranacook/Winthrop has won seven games in a row since its lone loss of the season, a 21-10 decision to Deering on May 10. The Hawks have scored 129 goals during the win streak, an average of 18.4 per game.

The game had to be stopped midway through the first quarter due to thunder. The teams returned to the field from the school’s gymnasium and played after a 30-minute delay.