Crisp triangle passing and ease of movement on the wings allowed Orono to have the free hand it had been yearning for.
The ability to finish made the performance both dominant and thorough.
So went Thursday night's match at Orono High School, where the Spartans, ranked No. 3 in Class 1A according to this week's coaches' poll, shut down No. 5-1A Breck 4-0 in a not-so-contentious top-10 showdown.
It was perhaps the team's finest performance of the season, just as the regular season comes to a close.
"We've been telling the team all year that we've got the kinds of players to play like that, and it was only a matter of time until we were able to pull it all together," Orono coach Erin Murray said afterward. "They've really taken to heart what we've been practicing, and in the games, they're executing things like combination-play and finishing. We've been working on that a lot."
The Spartans improved their overall record to 14-2-0 on the heels of a encouraging victory in which they outshot their guests 8-0.
Orono set up floating and fluid triangles all over the field, and used them to play keep away from Blake in the middle of the field, while the Spartans were more than happy to use their speed along the touch lines. The triangle midfield routinely fed the diagonal runs and the give-and-gos that developed into scoring chances.
It worked early, late, and often.
"This group of seniors, we've been playing together since we've been in second grade, so we do a good job of anticipating each other's next move," Orono senior Lily McKown said. "We knew against (Blake) we'd have to pass the ball well because of their speed."
Senior midfielder Rachel Rudd got the scoring going early for the Spartans when she scored unassisted less than six minutes (5:50) into the match. McKown scored twice in the first half to add another couple goals to the effort as Orono took a 3-0 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Danielle Jorgenson added to the lead with a goal at 64:23, with an assist credited to Carly Goehring, her second of the night.
McKown says the biggest profession for the season has been the team's ability to move the ball routinely and comfortably.
"We are connecting the ball more and working as a team as opposed to kicking the ball and running after it," McKown says. "Our passing has really improved throughout the season."
Orono, the defending Class 1A state champion, closed out the regular season with an 11-game winning streak that dates back to a 1-0 loss to Benilde-St. Margaret's on Sept. 8.
Murray says a lot can be said for the Spartans' overall speed, and the team growing into its own and individuals accepting their roles as the team was forced to turn the page from last year's success.
"Getting everybody in the right place and then getting them confident in each other has been a big thing," she said.
