NORTHBRIDGE – Lincoln-Sudbury field hockey coach Vicky Caburian told her team shortly after beating Wayland on Wednesday that it would really find out what it’s made of the next day in a battle of Div. 1 unbeatens.

By roaring to a 5-2 nonleague win over No. 16 Algonquin (12-1-1) Thursday night, those No. 14 Warriors (10-0-2) showed the characteristics of a major threat to watch out for in November.

Ellie Innes’ second goal broke a 1-1 tie in the first quarter, pairing with three other scorers and lock-down execution from everyone on the field to run away with what the longtime coach called Lincoln-Sudbury’s best win since she’s been there.

“We were going to see what kind of fight we have, and that’s what we did today,” Caburian said. “I think we made connections, we played together, we were just communicating, we were prepared. I’m really proud of the girls for how hard we have worked to prepare for this day and be ready for the next challenge.”

“We knew coming into this that it was going to be a huge game,” added senior co-captain Anna Leverone, who scored and played a critical defensive role. “We just keep fighting for our spot (in the playoffs), there’s no letting down. Beating (Algonquin) doesn’t mean that we’re done.”

Innes got the scoring started within the first few minutes by finishing off a feed from Ally Quinn for a 1-0 lead. But while Lincoln-Sudbury controlled much of the first quarter, its resilience was tested when a defensive miscue led to Algonquin’s Annelise Gingrich tying things up at 1-1 with 9:04 left in the frame.

The Warriors lost their early edge, but Innes struck again about four minutes later as part of an eight-shot, seven-corner opening quarter for a 2-1 lead.

“We respond really well to when we’re scored on, I think, as a team,” Leverone said. “We know if it’s a breakdown, we need to put it in the past, behind us, just not think about it and move on to the next play.”

Lincoln-Sudbury didn’t have another breakdown the rest of the way. Instead, consistent pressure through the next two quarters helped the Warriors break the game wide open.

Algonquin’s defense proved stingy in the second quarter, only allowing three shots on goal. But on Lincoln-Sudbury’s 10th corner of the game, a broken play still led to a scrappy goal from Sabrina Tibbert in front of the net.

A 3-1 lead at the half was all the reassurance the Warriors needed, scoring twice more in the third for a 5-1 advantage. The first was a redirected ball on a tip from Leverone, and the second came on a blast from Blaire Brennan that deflected off a defender’s stick into the netting just before the buzzer.

Leverone, Innes, Brennan, Emerson Acquaviva, Avery Acquaviva and Elise Cecere were particularly notable toward hemming Algonquin in its defensive zone for a 14-1 shot advantage entering the fourth quarter. But everyone on the field played their part to limit a dangerous Titans team.

“Everybody did their job,” Caburian said. “Not a perfect game, but a really great game for L-S. And the most important thing I think the girls said is they had fun.”

“We work as a team, we don’t work as individuals,” Leverone said. “Just being able to move the ball around and pass to each other, knowing that everyone has the skills.”

Lindsey Brown was a major standout again for Algonquin at each level of the field, capping off her performance with a goal shortly into the fourth quarter on a corner. Taylor Mieth also played a big part in cranking up the offensive pressure in the frame while the team denied Lincoln-Sudbury any more shots on goal over the last 15 minutes.