SKOWHEGAN -- During its run of six consecutive Class A state field hockey championships, Skowhegan has become the victim of expectations: Sometimes a close win isn't good enough, because people expect domination.

Saturday morning was one of those times when just winning was good enough for the Indians. Coming off an upset loss to Mt. Blue -- its first after 33 straight victories -- Skowhegan responded not with a lightning bolt, but simply a solid performance in a 2-0 win over Cony.

"They took a lot of abuse at school (Friday)," Skowhegan coach Paula Doughty said of her players. "No high school team is going to go through the rest of history of field hockey in Maine and never lose a game. That's not realistic. The good part about sports is that kids have to learn to pick themselves up and keep going. That's the way life is."

Cony (3-1), which defeated Mt. Blue in its season opener, was a formidable opponent for the Indians. Junior forward Brittany Ford played brilliantly, and the Rams showcased a smart passing game which led to a 10-8 advantage in shots.

But Skowhegan (1-1) stiffened when Cony got close. Indians keeper Megan Hancock (seven saves) made a nice quick-reaction save to stuff Christina Wing in the first half, and when Kayla Belanger drove the ball by Hancock in the second half, Skowhegan's Kylie Damon was right there for the defensive save.

"I love playing these great games, and I'm really bummed we only get to see Skowhegan once," Cony coach Krista Chase said. "We learn so much, what our strengths are and what our weaknesses are, in games like this. I have a lot of young and inexperienced people on the field, so I hope that this gave them the confidence that they need, knowing that they can play with the best team in the state."

Skowhegan also got tripped up in the circle in the first half, but broke through when Mallory Hancock pushed in a shot just 2 minutes, 20 seconds into the second half.

"It was a relief," said Doughty, whose team had been shut out by Mt. Blue after hitting the post several times. "I think once that (goal) happened, they just relaxed and played."

The Indians added a second goal with 9:46 left, when a botched penalty corner play turned into a break for Skowhegan. The Indians flubbed the inbound hit, which went about two feet, but that left the Cony defense scrambling and out of position. Becky Pratt flipped a quick pass to Sam Gifford, who knocked it into the cage for the 2-0 final score.

Matt DiFilippo -- 861-9243

mdifilippo@centralmaine.com