BIDDEFORD — It was supposed the toughest test so far for a Cheverus field hockey team that has dismantled its opponents. Not only did the Stags pass, they once again made it look easy.
Lucy Johnson scored four goals, Lily Johnson added another, and reigning Class A champion Cheverus made its biggest statement in a season that has been a demonstration of dominance with a 5-0 victory over previously undefeated Biddeford at Waterhouse Field.
Both teams brought 8-0 records into the game, but the Stags, who have outscored opponents 79-2, again looked leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.
“Playing on turf, playing under the lights at night, playing a good team, I think definitely adds that little bit,” said Cheverus Coach Theresa Arsenault, whose team is ranked No. 1 in the Varsity Maine top 10. “It almost felt like that type of playoff atmosphere, which is great to have during the season.”
Biddeford, ranked third in the Varsity Maine poll, had scored 29 goals and allowed one through eight games. But after a strong first quarter and a fast start to the second, the Tigers began to fall behind the Stags’ pace.
“I think it’s hard to defend because you can’t just defend one of them,” Biddeford Coach Caitlin Tremberth said. “They’re all pretty good.”
Cheverus began to take control early in the second. The Stags broke through on the scoreboard when Mackenzie Cash’s insert off a penalty corner found its way to Lucy Johnson, who moved around the defense and fired a shot inside the right side of the cage with 10:10 to go in the half.
The ball was supposed to go to Lily Johnson. But Plan B worked just as well.
“We don’t have to know exactly what we’re doing every single time,” Lucy Johnson said. “I think that we just make it flow.”
Lily Johnson had her chance to shine later in the quarter. Seconds after an injury stoppage, she brought the ball up to the left of the net and put in a reverse shot.
“I saw an opening and I had a shot, so I was like ‘Oh, I guess I’ll take it,'” she said. “I’ve been practicing my reverse a lot. I felt like it was the right time. I guess it was.”
Lucy Johnson helped Cheverus pull away with two goals in the third quarter. She scored just 28 seconds into the second half, and then knocked in the rebound of a shot by her sister. Her fourth goal, with 13:25 to play in the game, finished the scoring.
“Lucy can make things happen in the open field, but she’s very talented around the net,” Arsenault said. “A couple of her goals, I was almost like a fan in the stands.”
Lucy Johnson lauded her teammates, including strong defensive play from Elle Cooney and midfield play from Joey Pompeo.
“We played super well together as a team. We didn’t play individually at all,” Lucy Johnson said. “Our forward line is very aggressive. We can produce a lot when we work together.”
Biddeford’s midfield game, led by Ayla Lagasse, Kiki Jackson and Hannah Sonne-Loranger, impressed early.
“At the end of the day, this is just a regular-season game,” Tremberth said. “I’m proud of what we did, and I know we can get better. And I know that if we see them again, it’s going to be different.”
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