DOVER-FOXCROFT – You always like to get off to a fast start, especially in a playoff game.

That’s exactly what the top-seeded Foxcroft Academy girls field hockey team did on Wednesday as Sabrina Sharrow scored just 40 seconds after the opening whistle to send the Ponies on their way to a 5-1 win over Hall-Dale in their Eastern Maine Class C quarterfinal.

The 13-2 Ponies will entertain No. 4 Central of Corinth, 11-4, in Saturday’s semifinals.

Eighth seed Hall-Dale of Hallowell finished up at 5-9-1.

Sharrow added another goal later in the first half after Molly Cyr had made it 2-0.

Jennifer Gagnon had a goal and two assists and Maria Arno had the other goal with Emily Hutchinson, Kayla Clukey and Kelsey Boss each picking up an assist. Sophomore goalie Lexi Turner-Bragan, making her first varsity start in place of senior Renee Maheu (illness in her family), made four saves on seven shots.

Abby Crocker scored for Hall-Dale off a Hannah Rau assist and senior Alyssa Withee made 10 saves on 28 shots for the hard-working Bulldogs.

“That first goal was really helpful. It definitely brought up our confidence. We were all a little bit nervous at the beginning,” said senior forward Emily Hutchinson, whose long, precise diagonal pass from the right flank found the unmarked Sharrow at the far post for the game-opening goal.

“Sabrina is always on the [far] post,” said Hutchinson.

“That was a perfect pass. I was unmarked on the post for most of the game,” said Sharrow. “I aimed for the [far] corner and it went right past [Withee].”

“That first goal took the wind out of our girls’ sails a little bit. It’s one thing to score 10 minutes into a game but 40 seconds in. … It really took them by surprise. I’m not sure they knew how to recover from that,” said Hall-Dale coach Jessica Callahan.

Just moments later, Turner-Bragan made an important save to preserve the lead as she kicked out her right pad to stop a close-in shot from Carrie Jones.

Cyr made it 2-0 with 17:41 left in the half when a Gagnon shot from the top of the circle glanced into the net off the shaft of her stick.

“Molly was in position. She played the post well,” said Gagnon.

Sharrow’s next goal came six minutes later as she swooped on the rebound of a Clukey shot and swept it home.

“It was sitting right in front of me so I just hit it,” said Sharrow.

Gagnon made it 4-0 midway through the second half by finishing off a pretty passing sequence involving Cyr and Boss.

Arno extended the lead off a Gagnon assist.

Crocker capped the scoring by slipping the ball past Turner-Bragan from close range.

“We played a good game,” said Hutchinson. “We played really well together today.”

“They were the best team we’ve played this season,” said Hall-Dale co-captain Kate Ende with fellow co-captain Rau in agreement.

The Ponies did an exceptional job moving the ball quickly through the midfield and getting it to their speedy forwards on the flanks.

Turner-Bragan called her debut “very nerve-wracking” but said she eventually calmed down and benefited from having a “really good defense” in front of her.