Second-year Boothbay Region High School field hockey coach Donna Jordan, despite her team's youth and inexperience, feels her team's transition game will allow them to be competitive in the Mountain Valley Conference this season, which gets underway on Friday, Sept 4.

Jordan, a veteran coach with two state championships on her resume (at Piscataquis Community High School, 1987 and 1992)), has had two dozen players show up for preseason practices. The roster is heavy on sophomores and freshmen and not so balanced with seniors and juniors.

"We have quickness," said Jordan. "I feel we have a very strong transition game that will allow us to quickly move the ball, getting a jump on the opposing defense."

Boothbay finished the 2014 season at 6-6-2, which was one of the program's best records in the past five years. The Seahawks lost its tournament prelim game but this year's sophomores gained some "playoff experience." Two of this year's sophomores, Sydney Meader and Page Brown, were the team's top two scorers last year.

When looking back over last season and getting her players ready for 2015, Jordan said: "We need to do a better job finishing in the scoring circle. We need to do a better job with our shot selections and make sure we are ready and in position to quickly take all second-shot opportunities given to us."

The Seahawks will open the season at Telstar in Bethel Sept. 4. The Rebels defeated the Seahawks, 4-1, at home last year, but Boothbay took the rematch, 1-0, in Boothbay Harbor later in the season.

The Rebels and Lisbon Greyhounds, along with the Winthrop Ramblers, will test the young Boothbay team again this year.

"The Mountain Valley Conference continues to be a strong league to play in," said Jordan. "I think Winthrop will be the team to beat this year in the MVC."

The preseason roster has included the following players:

Seniors: Samantha Carter, Skyler Davis, Meghan Oakes, Nicole Rice;

Juniors: Nicole Clarke, Erica Eames, Molly Thibault, Alexis Welch, Elisabeth Wright;

Sophomores: Page Brown, Elizabeth Ham, Kayla Lewis, Sydney Meader, Sydney Mercier, Kylie Michael, Jo Shaw, Lily Sherburne, Denise Stover;

Freshmen: Hannah Gentry, Alexandria "Lexi" Lane, Carina Peaslee, Riley Sullivan, Hannah Witwicki.