Staff Writer

The Scarborough High School Girls’ Ice Hockey team recently finished their first year as a sanctioned Maine Principals’ Association sport with a playoff appearance and nearly half a dozen individual awards.

Five members of the team were recently named to the Southwestern Maine Activities Association All-Western Conference Team. Senior center Chelsea Barrett, junior wing Jackie Morin and freshman defenseman Abby Rutt received first team honors, while junior defenseman Marina Sterrer was named to the second team. Sophomore defenseman Spencer Shoebottom was named honorable mention.

The Red Storm finished the 2008-2009 season with an 8-6 record, qualifying for the playoffs before losing in the Maine Western Class A semi-finals to Cheverus High School. The season was a landmark for girls’ hockey, as it was the first season the sport was sanctioned by the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA).

“[The season] went as I suspected it would,” head coach John Fortiguerra said. “I figured we would end up in second or third place [in Class A] and we finished third.”

Fortiguerra said there are 10 teams in Scarborough’s division, and 19 total hockey teams in Class A.

Fortiguerra said the girls’ hockey team has been a sport for the high school for about 10 years, but was only recognized as a club sport for the first time this year. He said as a sanctioned sport, girls’ ice hockey is state recognized and the program is required to follow Maine Principal Association rules and regulations on conduct and grades. Before being sanctioned, Fortiguerra said Scarborough High School was required to set rules and regulations for the team.

Barrett said the team had a successful season, but said she thought they could have performed better, as the team had gone undefeated the season before. She said the team faced challenges with 10 returning players and nine freshmen players who had never played hockey before.

“The first practice was hilarious,” Barrett said. “But by the end of the year we improved.”

Fortiguerra said after the second practice, he divided players based on experience. He said the returning players practiced plays, while inexperienced players worked on skating fundamentals.

“We had our trying days,” Fortiguerra said. 

Barrett said Fortiguerra, who served his first year as head coach for the Red Storm this season, did a good job.

“It’s tough being a male coach [for a girls team],” Barrett said. “There’s a lot of drama between girls and he put up with us.”

Morin said Fortiguerra made it a point to play everyone on the team equally to gain game experience. She said Fortiguerra also taught the team how to avoid penalties.

Rutt said Fortiguerra also expected returning players to push themselves during practices as he worked with more inexperienced players.

Morin said while their teammates will miss the five seniors graduating this year, she expects the team to play better next season, as the rest of the team are expected to return.

Shoebottom said the popularity of girls’ hockey is growing.

“I talked with someone recently about playing hockey, and they said ‘Oh, you’re on a boys team?’ and I told them I’m on an all girls team, so I think people are still learning about [girls’ hockey],” she said.

Sterrer said there is still room for improvement regarding the girls’ hockey team, as she said the boys’ hockey team had longer ice time, as well as zamboni service to smooth the ice in between periods for games, which she said the girls’ team did not have. She said the girls’ team did have more ice time for practice than in years past, and funding from the school is getting better.

Fortiguerra said he’s looking forward to keeping players for next season and working to improve on the team’s record. He said the seniors will be hard to replace and he’s not sure what kind of talent will be coming on the team next season, as private schools can try to recruit players, while public schools rely on students living within the town.