Call it a monkey, but what the Scarborough boys’ hockey team shed from its back on Wednesday, Jan. 31, was a Stag.
The Red Storm defeated Cheverus for the first time, 3-0, at the University of Southern Maine Ice Arena.
While Scarborough (11-3) has had a better season than the Stags (4-9-1), the victory was about more than just wins and losses.
“They’ve been a nemesis to us,” said Scarborough coach Jay Mazur. “They’ve had some great teams and they still have a great team. The record doesn’t indicate how they play.”
Cheverus needed overtime to defeat Scarborough in last season’s Western Maine Class A final, and overcame a 2-0 first-period deficit to defeat the Red Storm earlier this season.
With assists from Brent Mayo and Steve Cook, Mike Dakers gave Scarborough the lead 12 minutes into the opening period.
Mayo made it 2-0 in the second period after Cheverus turned the puck over in its own end. Mayo skated free, beating Cheverus goalie Mason St. Hilaire with a backhand.
“It got turned over and I was able to pick it up,” Mayo said. “My wing mates were able to force the turnover so it was a great play by them.”
Sean Sullivan and Dakers were each credited with an assist.
With multiple power plays, Cheverus had its best scoring chances in the second, but the Red Storm penalty kill unit and senior goalie Josh Larrabee kept the puck out of goal.
“The defense was great,” Larabee said, “shot blocking especially. They had a lot of shot blocks and kept (Cheverus) to the outside. They maybe had one really good chance the whole game.”
Larabee stopped eight shots in the second period – 20 in the game – for his second shutout of the season. He is averaging just over two goals against thus far and has stopped 90 percent of the shots he has faced.
Kyle Huber scored Scarborough’s third and final goal two minutes into the third period. Camped in front of the net, Huber backhanded a rebound past the Cheverus goalie. Jack Snyder and Ben Talbot were credited with assists.
Scarborough was cheered by an estimated 200 student fans, who traveled to Gorham on a frigid night for the 8:30 p.m. game. The majority of the students were dressed in white, taking part in the “white out” promoted by posters and school announcements throughout the week.
“The fans are great,” senior defenseman Steve Cook said. “It is more support than we could ask for. We put out the flyers, but it was all them after that.”
Following the shutout win, Snyder was the first to reach Larabee in front of the goal, greeting the goalie with a hearty pat on the head before the pair was mobbed by teammates.
“We always thought we would because that’s our mindset,” Cook said. “There’s always those lapses in defense, offense, the neutral zone, everything, so to come out with a shutout was great tonight.”
Scarborough defeated Thornton Academy, 10-4, Saturday. Talbot led the way with three goals and two assists. The Red Storm trailed by a 2-1 score after the first period.
Scarborough was scheduled to face Biddeford on Wednesday.The Tigers defeated the Red Storm earlier in the season, 4-2.
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