AUGUSTA — The Cony and Lawrence field hockey teams are not strangers to tight battles. So it seemed only fitting that the rivals started the 2025 season in the same fashion.

Thanks to a goal from senior Natalie Pelletier in the second quarter, Lawrence walked away with a 1-0 win in a Class B showdown Thursday night at Fuller Field.

Field hockey: Hendrickson’s hat trick guides Cony past Lawrence in Class B North quarterfinals

“It feels good (to win the opener),” said Pelletier, a senior. “(Cony) is a really good team. It feels good to win against them, always.”

Defense was the strength for the Bulldogs, particularly in the second half when their backs snuffed out nearly all attempts by Cony to mount a comeback.

“We’re super proud of our backs,” said Lawrence coach Shawna Robinson. “Today, I liked the way they fought. They just didn’t back down, they stayed positive with each other.”

How did they do it?

Defense, and lots of it. In the first half, particularly the first quarter, Cony pressured Lawrence early and often. The Rams had a 6-1 advantage on penalty corners in the first half. In the second half, though, the Bulldogs flipped the momentum and had a 5-0 penalty corner advantage.

The Rams were turned away each time in the fourth quarter, even when Lawrence was a player down due to a penalty in the final three minutes. Junior Piper Carter and senior Grace Gagnon were instrumental in keeping the ball away from goalkeeper Abbey Stewart, who put on a strong effort and earned the shutout.

“Our defenders are really good,” Pelletier said. “They’re working really hard back there and are doing a really great job communicating with each other.”

Key moment

Lawrence took advantage of its only penalty corner of the first half, as Pelletier sneaked a shot past Cony goalkeeper Courtney Ramage in a scrum in front of the cage.

“I just kind of stuck my stick out, reversed (a shot), hoped for the best, and it went in the corner (of the cage),” Pelletier said. “We work on corners every day at practice. To execute one in a big game is a good feeling.”

Kennedy Pelotte, a freshman, was credited with an assist.

What does it mean?

For the Bulldogs, it’s a welcome start to the new season, particularly after a preseason matchup against Skowhegan on Tuesday.

“We had a tough, tough day on Tuesday (in Skowhegan), we went up there and looked like a junior high team,” Robinson said. “I’m so happy with the outcome today… Coming (to Cony) and getting a win to start it off, we’re pretty happy.”

The game was also a bit of revenge for Lawrence, which fell 3-2 to Cony in the Class B North quarterfinals last year. In that game, the Bulldogs did an excellent job marking Cony senior Abby Morrill, but Caroline Hendrickson notched a hat trick for the Rams.

For Cony, which finished 12-4 last year and fell to Leavitt in the regional semifinals, the game was a good building block to start its season. Despite the loss, the Rams showed a good foundation on both sides of the field. And Gamage demonstrated good poise in the cage, knocking away multiple scoring opportunities.

“That first half, we dominated possession, had the corner advantage,” said Cony coach Holly Daigle. “You hate to be on the losing end of a game like that. I felt we did a lot of things well. … We were right there. One little thing we know we have to do is finish. But I love that they gave their all right down to the wire. We know we’re going to be alright.”

Statistical leaders

Lawrence: Natalie Pelletier (1 goal), Kennedy Pelotte (1 assist)

Cony: Courtney Gamage (5 saves)