BIDDEFORD — Cousins Zoe Mazur and Emma McCauley have grown up in the same South Portland neighborhood, playing hockey together each winter.
The connection forged in all those hours was obvious Saturday as the duo helped Cheverus/Kennebunk earn a win 1-0 win over St. Dominic in a battle of unbeaten teams at Harold Alfond Forum.
The result snapped a 29-game winning streak for St. Dom’s (3-1), which has captured the state title each of the past two seasons. The Saints outscored their first three opponents by a 30-2 margin, but they couldn’t generate many threats against the Stags (6-0).
Midway through the first period, Mazur picked off a pass in the neutral zone, creating a 2-on-1 advantage. She found McCauley open in front of the net, and the left-handed shooting freshman sent a one-timer into the bottom left corner of the net.
“I knew when I was coming down, I didn’t have the greatest angle to shoot,” said Mazur. “I was kind of just hoping someone was coming by. I saw a glimpse of her. I know she’s a lefty, so I tried to give her a good angle. She moved around, and it was a good shot.”
And just like that, the idea of knocking off St. Dom’s seemed a little more realistic for the Stags.
“The goal was very big,” said Cheverus Coach Scott Rousseau. “In the first few minutes, the girls thought they could win, but I’m not sure they believed. C’mon, it’s St. Dom’s. The last time we played them, they hung 12 (goals) on us last year. It was in our minds. That first goal just gave us a lot of confidence.”
In addition to her assist, Mazur anchored an impressive defensive effort. Cheverus allowed just 11 shots and was 3 for 3 killing penalties.
“Zoe Mazur was a machine tonight,” said Rousseau. “She had the assist, and she logged 38 or 40 minutes tonight. She was the first star of the game, for sure.
“We have a lot confidence in Zoe. She really settled things down for us. Early in the game, when some of our defense had some jitters, there she was as a calming influence. She really leads by example.”
Senior goalie Payton Winslow shined brightest for St. Dom’s. She turned away 26 shots and helped the Saints survive three Cheverus power plays.
“When you’re the St. Dom’s goalie and you make eight saves a game, maybe people don’t know how good you are,” said Rousseau. “Tonight, she showed a lot of people. She’s just a heck of a goaltender.”
Anna Smith, meanwhile, made 11 saves for her third shutout of the season.
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