GARDINER -- Stinging from a pair of recent losses, the Gardiner Area High School field hockey team took it out against rival Cony on Tuesday afternoon at Somerville Field.

The Tigers scored twice in the first six minutes and dominated the second half in posting a decisive 5-1 Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A win against the Rams. Gardiner was playing the second of four straight games this week.

The Tigers (11-2-0) lost Monday to Skowhegan and last week dropped a decision to Messalonskee, neither of which set well with coaches or players. They came out strong Tuesday, getting a goal from Rebecca Paradee just 46 seconds into the game and another from Lauren Gorham five minutes later.

"We had an off day and you can't have an off day against Gardiner," Cony coach Krista Chase said. "Especially the day after they lose."

The Rams (10-3-0) bounced back from their disastrous start and cut the lead in half on a hard shot near the top of the penalty circle from Brittany Ford, but other than a 10-minute spurt in the first half, the Tigers dominated the game.

"We were a little devastated at yesterday's game," Gardiner senior Hailey Chadbourne said of the loss to Skowhegan. "But instead of getting down on ourselves, we decided we would pick our heads up and focus on the things we could do better."

Chadbourne scored one of the three Tigers' goals in the second half while junior Katie Schide had the other two. Gardiner coach Moe McNally made a few positional changes, based on Monday's loss, Tuesday's first half and her team's tough week. She moved Becky Pelletier back to sweeper and put Kaylee Heath at midfield after the Tigers hit a first-half lull.

"That was on the spur (of the moment)," McNally said of putting Heath at midfield. "She didn't start today. I just looked around and I needed some speed. I think that solidified things there."

The Tigers assaulted the Cony end and goalie Felisha Taylor (11 saves) in the second half. Schide made it 3-1 on a goal that appeared to bounce off a Cony defender and 4-1 midway through the period off a pass from Marissa Lawrence. The junior midfielder also assisted both Gardiner goals in the first half.

"We really just came out with the attitude today that we know we're a good team," said Chadbourne, who scored the game's fifth goal. "When we got in the huddle today I talked with the girls about how we need to believe in ourselves. We did today and that made all the difference."

The score was reflected by Gardiner's statistical dominance. The Tigers outshot the Rams 15-2 and held a 13-4 advantage in penalty corners.

Gary Hawkins -- 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com