BIDDEFORD — The Biddeford girls lacrosse team is off to one of its best starts in program history, but Thursday the Tigers ran into a familiar roadblock of a foe ”“ rival Thornton Academy. The Trojans came into the contest on as much of a roll as Biddeford, and it was TA that left the field still on a hot streak, winning 8-3 at Waterhouse Field.

Biddeford (6-3) got the first crack at an offensive possession, but the extended attack time yielded little in scoring chances. It was a preview for how much of the game would go, as the Thornton (6-3) defense was stout from start to finish.

“A lot of people think we play zone. We don’t. We play man; but it’s a helping man,” said Thornton head coach Craig Agreste. “We’re much better now than we were probably two weeks ago at helping one another out. The kids are taking pride in that and some ownership on the defensive end.”

The Tigers had made a habit of scoring in bunches through their first eight games, averaging 12 goals per contest. But against the Trojans, that offense could only muster a snipe of a goal by Olivia Morrison late in the first half, a free-position goal by Camryn McKeown early in the second, and a final goal by Peyton McKeown with three seconds left in the game.

“It’s the way they were playing defense. And we have plenty of motions and plays that they can run into, but it’s easy for the girls to, the second that it doesn’t work, for us to resort to back to just watching,” said Biddeford head coach Caitlin Albert. “We will work on it. You want to be able to break through a defense that’s good like that. And it’s about being smart and having that urgency to score, but also having the off-ball urgency to try to get your teammates open.”

That patience and trust in the offense that Albert is searching for is something that Agreste’s Trojans found against the Biddeford defense. Thornton was able to find the open cutter in the middle of the Tiger defense for two of its four first-half goals.

“We want to be patient. I think early in the year we forced a lot, and that’s going to happen. I think now they understand to be patient, let the offense come to them,” said Agreste.

Also helping Thornton’s cause on offense was junior attacker Faith Sinclair, who was a headache for the Biddeford defense all game. Sinclair scored twice from free position in the first half, then scored one goal and assisted on another early in the second.

“She’s a very good player. And No. 1, she has a knack to put the ball in the net, and you can’t coach that,” Agreste said of Sinclair. “She knows that people are collapsing on her, focusing on her, and she’s able to find the open man now, which is huge. As we play bigger games, like we did today, people are going to key on her.”

Thornton also got three goals from Hannah McAlary and one apiece by Lauren Wells and Dorina Sirois. Tatum LeClair, a defender by trade, assisted on Wells’ first-half goal after being pushed up to the offensive end.

“We’re still kind of battling back from some injuries, and probably our top player didn’t play today, and girls are stepping up everywhere,” said Agreste. “We asked a girl, Tatum LeClair, who has never played offense before, we said ”˜today, we need you.’ And she stepped up.”

Through the disappointment of another defeat at the hands of her team’s rival, Albert said that Thursday’s contest was an important step for her squad to take.

“It is disappointing, but at the same time it’s a good lesson. And it shows you what you need to work on against a team that’s going to give you a run for your money,” said Albert. “I think that they’re frustrated, but at the same time ”¦ they know what they have to do to win those games against tougher teams. When you hear them talk about it after the game, no one’s heads were down, they were just like ”˜this is why it happened.’ I think they’ll regroup.”

Agreste’s team went through a similar point of reflection right of the bat to start the season, as the Trojans lost their first two games, and three of their first four. But since then it’s been five straight wins.

“We’re on a pretty good run. We’re happy where we’re at,” said Agreste. “But I don’t think you’ve seen the best of us.”

— Sports Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.