FREEPORT — By allowing a single goal in five playoff games last fall en route to the Class C girls’ soccer state championship, Sacopee Valley earned a reputation for defense.

With nine starters returning, the Hawks have continued their stingy ways, opening this season with a pair of shutouts. On Wednesday afternoon, they also showed a flair for offense in a 5-0 victory over Class B Freeport.

Sacopee Valley’s Abby Hughes gets a shot past Freeport goalie Izzy Qualls, but misses the net Wednesday in a girls’ soccer game at Freeport. Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer

Senior McKenzie Murphy scored twice and classmate Courtney Ryan added a goal and two assists as Sacopee Valley (2-0) dominated an injury-riddled Freeport squad on an afternoon warm enough to warrant a five-minute water break in the middle of each half.

“Defense is definitely our strong suit as a team,” Murphy said. “Overall, we are defensive-minded first.”

Indeed, the Hawks did not allow a shot on goal in the first half as senior Jade Jordan and juniors Tayla Bradeen and Helen Ruhlin continually turned aside Freeport’s offensive forays.

The Falcons (0-2), meanwhile, lost one of their primary defenders in the 17th minute when junior back Olivia Greuel went down hard after a collision with Ryan and did not return.

In the 23rd minute, Ryan fed Olivia Ridley for a run up the right wing and Ridley split a pair of defenders before launching a drive that deflected off Freeport’s Courtney Broderick and inside the near post for a 1-0 lead.

“She put a good through-ball to me,” Ridley said of Ryan. “I just kind of chopped around one (defender) and then went through two of them to get into the open and take a shot.”

With a little more than two minutes remaining in the half, Murphy made it 2-0 by wasting little time in chipping a direct kick from 20 yards after being taken down by Broderick just outside the box.

“I noticed they were all shuffling around,” Murphy said, “so I just set it and took it as quickly as I could, because I saw a good look.”

Freeport finally forced Hawks keeper Hannah Manchester to earn her shutout when Jemayla Nelsonwood put two shots on goal from a tough angle in the second half.

Madison Day relieved Manchester for the final 21 minutes and made three saves.

Izzy Qualls made 13 saves for Freeport, which opened its season with an 8-1 loss to Class B finalist Cape Elizabeth.

“Sacopee last year was a 2-1 game so we felt much more evenly matched,” said Freeport Coach Elayna Girardin, who already was missing three starters due to injury and illness before losing Greuel.

“So we were coming in hoping for that. … But once we get everyone healthy, I think it will be different.”

Girardin said her team had trouble adjusting from the fast, free-flowing attack favored by Cape Elizabeth to the scrappy, hard-working Hawks, who were coming off a 2-0 victory at Old Orchard Beach.

Sustained second-half pressure resulted in goals from Ryan (a tap-in from the left post with assists from Maya Jamerson-Martin and Annette Humphrey following a Ridley cross), Annette Humphrey (from Ryan) and Murphy (with her left foot after pivoting around a defender with her back to the net).

“Our first game of the season was not our best work as a team,” Ryan said. “We definitely wanted to prove that we’re stronger than what we showed. I was looking for good team chemistry, good movement on the ball and to show the unity that I know we have.”

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