STANDISH—Despite a hat-trick performance from Allexius Theberge, the Scots couldn’t keep pace with the visiting Falcons on Saturday morning, May 26, falling behind gradually as the first half waned and the second half dawned, then with increasing speed in the late minutes. 17-7 the final.

“Our turnover rate in the second half was horrible,” Bonny Eagle head coach Judy Martin said. “We were standing flat-footed, weren’t going to meet the ball. Turnovers were critical: Turn the ball over to them, and they’d go down and score. I think that was our biggest thing. And then the girls get down on themselves.”

Freeport head coach Marcia Wood expressed satisfaction with the win, and a little surprise at its lopsidedness: “I’ve got to tell you,” she said, “we’re missing five players today. I’m missing three starters. Graduation, wisdom teeth and two playing in the national tournament.”

“I knew I was going to have to give that up for this weekend,” Wood said. “I was like, ‘Well, I’m going to have to learn to play without them.’”

Bonny Eagle got on the board first, Theberge striking just 71 seconds in. The Falcons scooted ahead 2-1 on goals by Rinaldi and Chloe Davidson, but Scot Allie Carpine responded to tie the board.

Wood complimented the opposition. “They could definitely shoot,” she said; “they had some aggressive girls going to goal.”

Wood also confessed to having some start-of-game concerns about her squad’s readiness: “I felt it with warmups with these kiddos. They were just kind of blahhh. Blahhh blah blah. Those Saturday morning games, and the heat.”

“But you’ve just got to get up, and take care of it,” Wood said. “And they did. They did a nice job, spreading the goals around.”

Freeport next burst into its first real run of the day: The Falcons hashed four consecutive – that’s one each by Rinaldi, Taylor Dostie, Jessie Driscoll and Emma Carter – to set the tally at 6-2.

Carpine and Theberge both notched in answer to Freeport’s explosion, pushing to 6-4, but Freeport had established its dominance, and never looked back.

While the Scots added one more before the break – Taylor Johnson did the honors – the Falcons added two, Rinaldi’s third and Davidson’s second. More tellingly, as the second half elapsed, Bonny Eagle managed just a pair more, while Freeport heaped up nine. Yes, nine.

“My defense was having a hard time with their constant cutters,” Martin said. “We’d follow a cutter and we couldn’t get our positioning back where we needed it. They were moving really well on offense and we just couldn’t keep up with it.”

“They picked up their pace,” Martin said of the second-half sea change, “so they were going to meet the ball and we weren’t. We just didn’t get that oomph that we needed. Maybe getting down made us not get that oomph.”

Theberge capped her afternoon in the downhill half, and Keelin Sweeney added one for Bonny Eagle as well, but at the other end of the field, Rinaldi picked up four further; Dostie, Driscoll and Davidson picked up one more apiece; and Molly Whelan and Allison Greuel each kicked in one.

Beyond noting her own girls’ lack of get-up-and-go, Martin applauded Freeport’s defense: “Their defense was strong. They handled our cutters really well; they doubled-teamed us, going in – we didn’t have the opportunity to go in one-on-one on goal, which really hurt us. We’ve got some kids who have really good shots.”

Wood heaped praise on a couple of her athletes: “Taylor Rinaldi’s been killing it. Goals, assists, ball movement, getting the ball back – just, everything. It’s been awesome. Taylor Dostie had a great game. Second half, picking it up defensively, causing some turnovers and getting some ground balls. And Jessie Driscoll, she has a good knack for interception, and she had a bunch today.”

“Allie Carpine played an awesome game,” Martin said, asked which of her girls turned in a standout performance. “She’s one of my midfielders. She did quite a few of the draws. And Lexi Theberge, she played really well. Her hustle out there, and her ballhandling, is really good.”

Bonny Eagle, now 3-8, rank sixth in A South at the moment. The Scots conclude their regular season on Thursday the 31st, when they travel to No. 5 Gorham, also 3-8.

Freeport, now 7-3, currently occupy fourth in C South. The Falcons have two games left on their docket before playoffs descend: at No. 9 Wells on Wednesday the 30th and home vs. St. Dom (third place) on Saturday the 2nd.

Adam Birt can be reached at abirt@keepmecurrent.com. Follow him on Twitter: @CurrentSportsME.

Scot Keelin Sweeney slings a ball forward, on the attack.

Bonny Eagler Jenna Litif dodges Freeport defenders, working here way to goal.

Allie Carpine turned in an excellent effort for the Scots, despite their loss.

Kaley Rumery surveys her options, carrying for Bonny Eagle.

Allexius Theberge looks to whip the ball around a Freeport opponent.

Gretchen Biegel carries for Bonny Eagle.