The Scots’ Madi Freeman gave her team an early lead in Westbrook on Saturday morning, and she did it in style, heading a pinpoint ball past Blazes’ keeper Kelsey Cavanaugh. It was all the offense Bonny Eagle would need, as their defense successfully shut Westbrook out – but it wasn’t all they mustered up, and they eventually claimed the W 3-0.

“We really focused on possession and getting the ball to the ground quickly and moving it to the outside,” said Bonny Eagle stand-in head coach Tom Sayre. (Everyday head coach Ed Taylor was away out of town for the bout.) “We didn’t try to clog the middle like we can sometimes do. We were able to do get what we wanted on the top half, locking the ball in and getting some possession.”

Westbrook exerted strong control over the field at times – including through the start of the game.

“The things we’ve been working on are playing quickly, moving without the ball and playing faster than we’ve normally been doing,” said Westbrook head coach Andy Lefebvre “When we do that, we’re successful. We just weren’t able to finish.”

Freeman notched her contribution just under 12 minutes into the first half. Teammate Abby Cates assisted, sailing a corner directly at Freeman, who headed the ball beautifully, redirecting to beat Cavanaugh low-left.

“It was a really good service into the box,” said Sayre of Cates’s corner. “And Madi Freeman’s very good in the air; she’s been winning a lot of head balls for us. She got a good position, beat her mark to the spot and headed it in the back of the frame.”

For Sayre, Freeman’s work in the box reflected strong tactical thinking on his girls’ part. “Once you can establish yourself in the box like that, the rest of your day is going to go a little easier.”

Six minutes later, the Scots grabbed an insurance goal. Sam Avery put herself in just the right spot – on Cavanaugh’s doorstep – at just the right time to get a toe on a rolling ball as it somehow wended its way through a forest of legs from outside-right.

“We were hoping to stretch them a bit,” said Lefebvre of the Blazes’ strategy for dealing with the Scots, “because we know they play basically three midfielders. Our other goal was to try to neutralize Madi Freeman, which didn’t work out all that well. She was still serving a lot of balls.”

Bonny Eagle added a re-insurance goal midway through the second half. Nell Spencer healed the ball past Cavanaugh on a rebound following a corner for 3-0 and – despite the Blazes’ continued efforts – the final.

“They just stepped harder,” said Lefebvre of Bonny Eagle’s play. “You’ve got to give them credit; they stepped harder, they were more aggressive, they got on the end of the ball and finished.”

Sayre had high praise for a number of his girls: “Freeman played wonderfully. Avery Cochran, our sweeper, really controlled the back end. And we had some role-players come in and do well. Sam Avery scored her first career goal today, really put forth a good effort. But all our girls really poured it out; this was a must-win game for us to solidify a good playoff run.”

The Scots jump to 5-5-1 with the win. Bonny Eagle is currently 10th in A South, a slot back from Portland (6-5) and a slot ahead of TA (5-6). The team’s next challenge was No. 3 Marshwood (9-1), who they hosted on Wednesday the 14th, after Current Publishing’s print deadlines.

The Blazes, meanwhile, slide to 1-9-1; the squad sits a few spots outside playoff contention at the moment, in 15th. Their prospects for reaching the postseason this year look slim. An upset victory in the final bout of their regular schedule, at home vs. No. 7 Sanford (6-2-2) on Oct. 20, would go a long way toward achieving that goal. Westbrook traveled to last-place McAuley (0-10) on the 14th.

Bonny Eagler Hailey Bell fends off Westbrook’s Courtney Arsenault in the Scots’ 3-0 victory over the Blazes on Saturday morningWestbrook’s Mikayla Van Zandt leaps for a midair ball as Bonny Eagle’s Abby Cates crashes into her.A number of Blazes, including keeper Kelsey Cavanaugh (1), watch helplessly as Scot Nell Spencer’s rebound shot heads to the back of the net.Westbrook’s Rylee Troiano can’t quite get in front of a shot by Bonny Eagle’s Sarah Champagne.Blaze Mackenzie Rayner, trying to settle a ball, manages for the moment to box out Bonny Eagle’s Kaley Rumery.Westbrooker Delilah Graffam shoulders into Bonny Eagle’s Abby Cates in pursuit of the ball.Westbrook’s Sarah Wagner and Bonny Eagle’s Madi Freeman vie for a header in their teams’ matchup on Saturday morning.