A few weeks ago, Amber Hatch, the coach of Gorham’s field hockey team, said that her girls would be competitive in their first season in the SMAA. So far, that looks like a bit of an understatement.

The Rams came into this week unbeaten after overwhelming Marshwood, 7-0, Friday, and nearly halfway into the season it looks like Hatch’s squad is one of the top contenders in Class A.

“I knew we’d have a strong team,” said senior co-captain Danielle Moody, “but we’re young, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.”

Indeed, Gorham has a mix of seniors, juniors and sophomores on the team, but the younger players seem to have fit right in.

“(Sophomores) Corey Perkins and Leigh Maniscalco have really surprised me,” Melissa Sanborn, the other senior co-captain, said, “because they’re amazingly fast, and they can control the ball, too.”

Maniscalco leads the team in scoring, with four goals, just ahead of junior Megan Hamilton, who has three.

Seniors do make up the Rams’ backbone, with Moody, at center back, and Sanborn, at center mid, keeping the ball in the offensive end.

“We work really well together,” Moody said. “If I have the ball and I go up, (Sanborn) will fill in back, and if she gets the ball, I’m right behind her. I got her back.”

Another pair of seniors, sweeper Kristen Walls and back Laura Willette, keep to a minimum the number of scoring chances that goalie Rachel Lolley has to deal with.

“The reason I don’t get too many shots on goal is that they’re just amazing,” said Lolley, who has allowed just three goals in Gorham’s first five games. “They keep the ball away from me the whole game and I don’t really mind.”

Against Marshwood (0-6), play was concentrated in the visitors’ end for much of the contest, and midway through the first half it was clear that this would be a long day for the Hawks.

Minutes into the action, under an overcast sky, Hamilton gave her team the early lead. Then, in a three-minute span before the midpoint of the first half, Emma Deans, Moody and Chanelle Hallsworth each put in a goal, and Marshwood was reeling.

Hallsworth’s goal came on a quick shot after she made one of her frequent rushes along the right sideline.

“We’re amazingly fast,” said Sanborn. “We have Chanelle on the side and she just takes it up and crosses it over. We can always depend on her.”

Meanwhile, over in the middle of the field, Moody was stopping her opponents’ advances and turning them into offensive opportunities for the Rams.

Down 4-0 at the half, Hawks coach Ed Martin switched up his goalkeepers, replacing Nicole Paradee with Nicole Carr. Gorham just kept rolling along, as Maniscalco scored a pair and Perkins added a goal.

“Our girls are focused and playing well as a group,” Hatch said. “We have good speed this season, and we have a tradition of strong field hockey.”

The Rams were 5-0 coming into the week and scheduled to host McAuley (1-4) Tuesday and Portland (1-5) Thursday. Monday’s game at Scarborough (2-2) could be a key test.

“We thought it might be a struggle (this season) – and it still might be,” said Lolley, “but I think we’re just warming up.”