Cheverus comes alive in second half, beats Scarborough in the rain

SCARBOROUGH—Cheverus’ powerhouse field hockey team makes it look easy game after game after game.

But Monday evening at the Kippy Mitchell Sports Complex, despite the final score, things did not come easily against the host Scarborough Red Storm in the renewal of the teams’ longtime rivalry.

Cheverus got an early rebound goal from junior Zoey Radford, but the Stags were held in check by the Scarborough defense and its stellar goalie, senior Jamila Mohamed, for most of the rest of the first half.

Finally, with 29 seconds left, senior standout Lily Johnson made it 2-0 and Cheverus broke it open in the third quarter, as Johnson scored again, junior star Lucy Johnson added two goals and freshman Sydney Brunelle also rattled the cage. Brunelle added a second goal in the fourth quarter and the Stags rolled to a 7-1 victory.

Cheverus improved to 2-0 on the young season and has now won 34 straight regular season contests dating to the 2020 campaign.

“Scarborough has great defense,” said Stags coach Theresa Arsenault. “They bring all their players and pack it in. Open looks are hard to come by. We hoped to get a lot of corners and be able to get numbers up to produce.”

Persistence

After rolling to a first championship in perfect fashion in 2021, Cheverus was even more prolific last fall, but its bid for a repeat title was dashed by Skowhegan in the Class A state final, 3-2.

The Stags have put that disappointment in the rearview mirror and opened in style with a 5-0 home win over Biddeford.

Scarborough, which was upset in last year’s quarterfinals by Windham, hopes to be the team to knock Cheverus off its perch this season, and started with a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory at Windham.

Last year, the Stags came to Scarborough and rolled, 6-0, for their sixth straight win in the series.

Monday, on an inclement night which started with drizzle and turned into full-on rain in the second half, the Red Storm sought their first win over Cheverus since the 2018 Class A South quarterfinals (2-0), but instead, the Stags prevailed for the seventh straight time in the series to cut Scarborough’s all-time advantage to 16-10 (with one tie).

Cheverus carried play from the get-go and got its first chance in the second minute, but a promising rush from Lucy Johnson was broken up by Red Storm senior defender Jersey Martin.

With 10:48 left in the opening stanza, the Stags went on top to stay, as Lucy Johnson ripped a powerful shot which was saved by Mohamed, but Radford was left all alone to bang home the rebound for a 1-0 advantage.

Later in the quarter, Mohamed kept the deficit at one, denying Radford on a one-timer, stopping a backhanded rocket from Lucy Johnson, then making a highlight reel save on a Lily Johnson shot off a penalty corner.

Frustration was then the theme for the Stags for almost the entire second period.

Early on, Mohamed saved shots from sophomore Joey Pompeo, Lily Johnson, senior Charlotte Miller and a pair from Lucy Johnson, while Lily Johnson also hit the post.

Martin also stood tall by making a pair of dazzling defensive saves, one on a low shot that snuck behind Mohamed and another on a high deflection off a corner which saw her raise her stick to the sky and bat the ball away.

But the Red Storm couldn’t quite get to the break within one, as with 29.1 seconds showing, off a corner, Pompeo set up Lily Johnson for the goal and an all-important 2-0 lead.

“I think that second goal got us going,” Lily Johnson said. “It motivated us to pick it up. We were just getting warmed up. I think once we get going and we start connecting our passes and working as a team, a lot of good things can happen.”

“We’re making sure we’re working together and playing together, especially against teams like this,” Arsenault said. “It took us a minute to settle in and play together and create space. That goal got us excited going into the second (half).”

“That second goal was a backbreaker,” Scarborough coach Kerry Mariello lamented.

With the rain falling heavily as the second half started, the Cheverus onslaught began.

Seconds after being robbed by Mohamed, Lucy Johnson scored for the first time, as her shot hit a defender’s stick and bounced up and in with 12:04 on the clock. Lucy Johnson then got another with 9:51 to go, finishing a pass from freshman Caroline Rousseau with a shot that Mohamed got a piece of, but couldn’t keep from crossing the line.

“It was a little frustrating, but we knew we had to push offensively and get the ball in the circle,” Lucy Johnson said. “Their goaltender had great saves, but she gave up some rebounds, so we knew we had to keep shooting and crash for rebounds.”

After Mariello called timeout, the Stags didn’t relent, as Lily Johnson scored for the second time with 6:47 left, on a powerful backhanded shot, then Brunelle got in on the fun with 19.5 seconds showing, rebounding a shot off a penalty corner for a 6-0 advantage.

“We knew they’d be great,” Mariello said, of the Stags. “We held strong for awhile, but it’s tough. It’s too hard to hold off a great team for as long as we did based on the experience we have. We struggled in the third quarter. Cheverus has thousands and thousands of field hockey in them compared to us.”

Midway through the fourth quarter, Brunelle scored for a second time, with junior Sophia Smith getting the assist.

“Those other players can get overlooked because Lily and Lucy are amazing athletes and they really create a lot of energy for our team,” Arsenault said. “We have a lot of younger girls who are really coming along and making an impact.”

To their credit and to no one’s surprise, the Red Storm fought hard until the final horn and were rewarded.

After taking its first shot with 2:35 to go, Scarborough earned a corner and with 2:06 on the clock, senior Maggie Pendergast hit the post, but senior Emma Lally scored on the rebound to account for the 7-1 final score.

“It was a little nervewracking, but our whole team was really excited to get a game, especially after practicing all week in not so good weather,” said Lucy Johnson. “It was a fun game. Especially on turf.”

“This almost worked out in a way,” Arsenault said. “We had some really good practices before tonight, which was great. It was an awesome start to the season. Playing Biddeford, then we were supposed to play Noble, which would have been great competition, then coming to Scarborough and playing under the lights in a great atmosphere.”

Cheverus ended up with a commanding 24-2 shots advantage and took 13 penalty corners to Scarborough’s two. Sophomore Ellie Skolnekovich made one save.

Mohamed stopped 17 shots for the Red Storm.

“You have to put it in perspective,” said Mariello. “Who knows what the next time will show? It was a great lesson for these girls to take what they’re showing us. Maybe we can incorporate their skills into our game.”

Picking it up

Before meeting for a second time Oct. 3 in Portland, the schedule frequency picks up for both teams.

The Red Storm look to get back in the win column Wednesday at home versus Windham. They go to Thornton Academy Friday.

“We have potential,” Mariello said. “The older group has to keep teaching and hopefully the younger girls will get game experience and incorporate that.”

The Stags welcome Thornton Academy Wednesday and go to Gorham, another contender Friday.

“I think we’re a very strong team,” said Lily Johnson. “We lost some seniors who were really beneficial, but we’re building our defense. Our offense is amazing and we’re working well together.”

“We have to keep working as a team and not think of our next game,” Lucy Johnson said. “This game is in the past and we’ll focus on TA Wednesday.”

“We’ll reflect tonight, then come back tomorrow and prepare for our next game,” Arsenault added. “We’ve kept the same process of the past three years and we’ll focus on the things we can do now to be great tomorrow and hope over time, it will build to success at the end.”