Last week was a week that saw good competition and success on the court, ice and trails.
In other words, almost a taste of normalcy for winter athletes who are certainly making the absolute most of their abbreviated season.
Here’s a look at what transpired:
Boys’ hockey
Scarborough’s boys’ hockey team improved to 2-1 after last week’s 3-2 win at Cape Elizabeth, the Red Storm’s nemesis in recent years. Zach Chaisson scored just 21 seconds in and Grover Wallace and Michael Valente (from his twin brother, John) added goals, while sophomore goalie Keegan Weed dazzled in his first varsity start, stopping 27 shots.
“This win means a lot,” Weed said. “I’ll remember this for a long time. It was a great team effort. I didn’t see a lot of shots in the second half. The D was just amazing.”
“This was Keegan’s first start and he was awesome,” Scarborough’s first-year coach Dan McGovern said. “First start and first win. He’s been amazing for us since he came on in the backup role. He played today and played fantastic. He was a little nervous at first, but he got his composure and we got the win.”
Cape Elizabeth fell to 3-1 with its 3-2 home loss to Scarborough. The Capers had beaten visiting Kennebunk, 4-0 (Will Gordon and Sebastian Moon scored two goals apiece), but against the Red Storm, two goals from Dimitri Coupe weren’t enough.
“It was a tough game as we didn’t have a legs the first five to eight minutes,” Cape Elizabeth coach Jake Rutt said. “We had a decent game and thought we played well enough to win, but found ourselves in the penalty box and could never gain any momentum. That being said, I thought we had the majority of chances, but couldn’t quite finish.”
The Capers were at Biddeford Wednesday.
The South Portland/Waynflete/Freeport co-op team was 1-3 at press time following last week’s 4-2 home loss to Portland/Deering. Dylan Hannan scored twice, but it wasn’t enough.
“We haven’t had many practices and we have a lot to work on,” SP/Waynflete/Freeport coach Joe Robinson said. “I’m just glad to be out here. We’re very sophomore-heavy. I think we’ll be really good next year. This a good year to prepare for it.”
The squad hosts Thornton Academy Saturday and visits Biddeford Tuesday of next week.
Girls’ hockey
Cape Elizabeth/Waynflete/South Portland, the defending South Region girls’ hockey champion, won its first four outings, including narrow victories last week over Cheverus (3-2, in overtime) and Scarborough (2-1). Bella Schifano scored twice, including the winning tally, against Cheverus. Schifano and Koto Yamada had the goals against the Red Storm and Abbey Steinhagen stood out in goal. Cape/Waynflete/SP played Portland/Deering Thursday and goes to Biddeford Saturday. Biddeford then pays a visit Tuesday of next week.
Scarborough won its first three games, including a 2-0 home victory over Cheverus last Thursday, then fell to 3-1 Saturday after a 2-1 loss to Cape/SP/Waynflete. Ali Mokriski and Maya Sellinger had the goals in the win. The Red Storm went to North Yarmouth Academy Thursday and visit Cheverus Monday (see pressherald.com/forecaster-sports/ for game story).
Boys’ basketball
South Portland’s boys’ basketball team improved to 4-0 after a pair of wins last week over longtime nemesis South Portland, 67-47 at home and 56-46 in Portland. In the first victory, Mayen Ayuel and Jaelen Jackson both scored 14 points and Owen Maloney added 12. The Red Riots then swept the Bulldogs for the first time in a dozen seasons, as Ayuel scored 17 points and J.P. Estrella, who transferred to South Portland from Scarborough, added 16 points and 11 rebounds.
“I’m loving South Portland,” Estrella said. “I feel like I’m fitting in pretty good. Rebounds and putback finishes are my biggest role.”
“It’s Portland, so we’re always happy to win,” said South Portland coach Kevin Millington. “You can’t go by talent. These two teams always battle each other to the end. We knew they wouldn’t give up.”
The Red Riots are back in action Wednesday of next week when Cheverus pays a visit.
Scarborough fell to 1-3 after a 63-38 loss at Thornton Academy last Friday. Rowan MacDonald had a team-high 15 points for the Red Storm. Scarborough visits Deering Saturday (see pressherald.com/forecaster-sports/ for game story).
Cape Elizabeth improved to 3-2 after narrow home wins over Freeport (44-40) and Greely (56-50, in overtime). Evan Reeves scored 17 points and Nate Mullen added 11 against the Falcons. Mullen led the way with 19 points and Dylan Swift added 12 against the Rangers. The Capers go to Greely Friday and visit Westbrook Monday.
Girls’ basketball
On the girls’ side, Cape Elizabeth got in the win column last Friday with a dramatic 33-31, come-from-behind victory at a Freeport squad which has eliminated the Capers from the playoffs two years running. Emily Supple led the way with 16 points. Cape Elizabeth then fell to 1-2 Tuesday after a 47-27 loss at Greely. Supple scored nine points. The Capers host Greely Friday and welcome Westbrook Monday.
Scarborough fell to 0-4 after a pair of losses to Thornton Academy last week, 48-37 in Saco and 48-35 at home. Sylvia Foley had 11 points in the first meeting. In the second, the Red Storm trailed most of the way and went down to defeat despite 10 points from Kayla Conley and nine from Foley.
“We haven’t gotten to 40 (points) all year and that’s where our issues are,” said Red Storm coach Mike Giordano. “We’ve played really good defense, but I think today, we let down a little bit. When you work so hard and things don’t fall for you, there’s a little bit of a letdown. That and (Thornton’s) a really good team.”
Scarborough is back in action Friday of next week when Westbrook pays a visit.
“Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us and we won’t feel sorry for ourselves,” Giordano said. “We’ll keep working hard. They’re doing everything we ask them to do and they’re getting experience. I’m looking at this like it’s the summer when you evaluate the kids and where they can help We hope to get (junior) Lindsay (Fiorillo) back in some capacity next week and that will give us a lift in the offensive end.”
South Portland fell to 2-2 after a pair of losses last week to Portland, 57-29 in Portland and 55-31 at home. The first meeting was one for the record books, as a mother and daughter squared off as coaches for what was believed to be the first time in state annals. Portland’s Abby Hasson got the best of her mother, Lynne Hasson. The Red Riots got a team-high eight points from Maria Degifico.
“I wish we’d come out on the winning end of it, but we made history,” Lynne Hasson said. “There haven’t been a lot of father-son duos (to coach against each other) and to see a mother-daughter duo is important for the kids. We come from a family that loves basketball and is passionate about it. For Abby to get a varsity job at her age, I’m really happy for her. She’s coaching a really good team. They’re tremendous. I’m happy for what it says for female coaches.”
South Portland, which got a team-high seven points from Degifico in the second loss to Portland, hopes to get back on track Friday at Yarmouth. The Red Riots visit Cheverus Wednesday of next week.
“We reloaded for many years and now we’re building for the future,” Lynne Hasson said. “We have some good young kids. It’s about maintaining confidence, developing skills and developing some of the younger kids. They have great upside.”
Skiing
Cape Elizabeth’s boys were first and its girls second at a three-team Alpine giant slalom meet Tuesday. The boys were paced by individual champion Tiernan Lathrop, who had a two-run combined time of 1 minute, 5.91 seconds. The Capers top female was Dana Schwartz, who was first in 1:10.11.
Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.
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