KENNEBUNK — No team wants to start the season at 0-1 in the record book.

The Kennebunk field hockey team won’t have to worry about that after defeating Biddeford 1-0 on Thursday.

The lone goal for the Rams came early in the second half, when Kate Murphy took a shot that deflected off a Biddeford defender’s stick into the goal.

The win put a smile of the face of Rams head coach Kayla Hinkley after the game.

“I’m relieved,” Hinkley said. “It’s always good to start the season off on a good note. The girls have been working really hard, so I think this is a good way to start the season.”

The action was back and forth in the first 15 minutes of the game, as both teams vied for field position. However, for the next 45 minutes of game play, Kennebunk was firmly entrenched on the Tigers side of the field. It showed in the shots department, too, as Kennebunk finished the game with 12 shots on goal, while Kennebunk goalie Kelsey Livermore needed to make only one save to pick up the shutout.

“We’re really working on putting a lot of pressure offensively this year,” Hinkley said. “One of our goals that we set for ourselves was to be an offensive team. I think they came out, and they were hot, and a little tired, but once they got going, they got their momentum going. I started to see a more people stepping up into the roles that they had, passing the ball a little bit more, controlling it a little bit easier and they realized that when they do control it, that it’s an easier game in the heat than it is if they just hit and run.

After a successful season last year, Hinkley has seen positive strides in the Rams play to continue that success into the 2010 season.

“We’re looking on picking up right where we left off last year,” Hinkley said. “We have girls that are filling in spots nicely, so that really helps, and makes it easier to coach a team with girls that are willing to work hard and achieve a common goal. We still have a lot of meshing to do, a lot of connections need to be made still. I’m glad we’ve got the first one of the season, but we definitely have room for improvement and we need to continue to work hard and learn.”

Goalie Tiffany Gagne was the standout for Biddeford, making 11 saves on the afternoon.

The game, originally scheduled for 3:30 p.m.; was moved to 5:30 because of the heat. While the weather was still scorching to start the contest, it eventually cooled down by halftime, giving both teams the ability to finish the game without a glitch.

— Contact Dave Dyer at 282-1535 ext. 318.