AUGUSTA — This was a night ripe for the Cony field hockey team to do something big.

A game for a noble cause; a rivalry showdown; a packed house, including a raucous student section. If there was ever a setting for the Rams to set the tone for their season, this was it.

Cony delivered Wednesday night, beating rival Gardiner 5-3 to win the annual Drive Out Cancer Challenge game at Fuller Field. The win knocked the Tigers from the ranks of the unbeatens while giving the Rams a key victory in a tough Class B North field.

“We just showed grit and heart,” said Cony head coach Holly Daigle. “It’s no secret that, every year, this is a game we get pumped up for. It’s a great night — the cause is something that’s near and dear to everybody — and with the rivalry, how could you not be excited? Our girls just wanted it, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

Abby Morrill scored two goals for Cony, which scored two unanswered goals in the fourth quarter after Gardiner had fought from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game, while Natalie Dube, Helen Dineen and Caroline Hendrickson scored a goal each. Brynnlea Chaisson had all three goals for Gardiner.

The Cony Rams celebrate after a goal by Caroline Hendrickson, fourth from left, broke the tie and put them up 4-3 in fourth quarter against Gardiner in a field hockey game Wednesday in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

“I think we came in knowing we were going to win this game. We worked as a team, we worked together, and it was awesome,” Hendrickson said. “I think this game is so much more to this team in the community. It’s not just a field hockey game with rivals; it warms all our hearts. It’s huge.”

Gardiner scored first as Chaisson found the cage with 5 minutes, 17 seconds remaining in the first quarter to give the Tigers the lead. Yet Cony (3-2) would respond by amping up the offensive pressure, and with 13:07 left in the first half, Dube converted a penalty corner on a deflection to tie the game.

Morrill then gave Cony the lead with 9:45 left in the third quarter before Dineen made it 3-1 with 3:43 left in the period. Gardiner (5-1), though, would get one back as Chaisson scored from a penalty corner with no time left in the third, and with 10:53 left in the fourth, she completed her hat trick to level the score.

“We were like, ‘OK, we need to lock in; we need to stop the ball and not play defensive-minded, but maybe a little bit,” Morrill said. “Then, (they tied it up), and we were like, ‘OK, we’ve got to go; time to score again.’”

Just 2:19 later, Cony did so through Hendrickson, who swept home a goal from close range to give the home team the lead. The Rams then put the finishing touch on the victory with 1:02 left as Morrill scored her second of the game from long range.

The Cony and Gardiner field hockey teams watch a coin toss prior to their game Wednesday in Augusta. AUGUSTA, ME – SEPT. 18: Gardiner honorary captain Matthew Swindells, left, call the coin toss before for the 16th annual Drive Out Cancer Game on Wednesday September 18, 2024 on Fuller Field at Cony Middle and High School in Augusta. (Staff photo by Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer) Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Cony’s five-goal performance was a noteworthy effort against Gardiner, which had given up just four goals in five games prior to Wednesday night. Morrill was equally impressed with her team’s defensive effort against the Tigers, who entered the contest avering 7.8 goals per game.

“We had some great defensive plays,” Morrill said. “Our girls stuck in it to stop multiple shot attempts for corners. We had Natalie Dube and Hailey Johnson in the back, we had Zoe Charest — all of them. Caroline did the same thing, getting the ball and getting it up.”

Between the rivalry showdown, the cause and the chance to play under the lights, the game drew quite a crowd to Fuller Field. The bleachers were packed with fans from both teams with Cony also bringing a large student section, one that was decked out in purple for cancer awareness.

“The student section was awesome; it definitely gets the girls pumped up and gets me pumped up,” Daigle said. “The energy surrounding this night is so incredible. It’s tough waiting until 7 o’clock to play, but it’s well worth it. Seeing the communities and the crowd, it’s incredible.”