Special to the Leader

Following a couple of tough losses, Scarborough’s boys lacrosse team got back to business with wins against South Portland and Freeport, before facing off against Class A rival Cheverus on a sunny afternoon in Portland.

There was concern as to how the team would do against its strongest opponent since losing to Portland and Yarmouth, particularly after lackluster wins earlier in the week.

Those questions were answered quickly however, as the Storm took control from the onset and never looked back in a 12-4 win.

The defense set the tone early, just as it has in every win this season. James Wright and Jimmy Soules scooped up nearly every ball that hit the ground, and Nick Neugebauer added a physical presence along with Peter Tuma and Colin O’Connor that strangled the Stags through virtually the entire game. The only Cheverus player to make an impact was Ryan McQuaid, interestingly a Scarborough resident who played youth and middle school lacrosse with the same defenders opposing him in this game.

 The Red Storm offense, came out of its doldrums early as well to build a commanding 6-0 lead, using it’s stick skill and speed to great advantage. Matt Mayo (three goals), who has developed a turn-and-shoot snap shot,  scored on a couple of passes into center from middies Peter Moore and Danny Clark. Clark (three goals, two assists) had another assist when he saw Brendan Ham loitering uncovered on the far side of the net and hit him with a pass that left Ham one-on-one with the goalie for a score. Jake Barrett added two goals, while James Wright, Peter Moore, and Connor Gullifer each chipped in with one. 

The offense has been a patchwork affair through much of the year, as Scarborough Coach Joe Hezlep has looked for the right combination that would combine firepower with control. The game featured changes like moving Jake Barrett to midfield, and running different lines out than he has in the past.

He summed up the year so far, saying, “Our defense is continuing to play strong. They’ve done really well so far this season. The offense has been coming along a little bit slower. Today we had guys taking control, making smarter plays, but also being more aggressive. When we’re going to the cage we have to be more aggressive. It hasn’t happened the last few games, but today it started to show. It’s just something that we’ve got to work on every single day. We’ve got to get a lot better at that.”

Responding to questions about lineup and positional changes, he added, “We’re open to anything that works right now.” The team has had to work through a couple of bitter losses and that’s taken time. “It was definitely a big hiccup and we came out playing not nearly well enough the past couple of games,” Hezlep said.  “But we’re really starting to get it together. I think we’re starting to get some confidence back, and play the way we can and need to.”

If the Red Storm are indeed rounding into playoff form, it’s at the right time, with the regular season winding down. And if history provides any lessons, then there is reason to believe this is the case. In both their 2006 and 2008 championship runs, Scarborough also had some bumps in the road, but they peaked at exactly the right time – in the playoffs. Red Storm fans certainly hope that history repeats itself a third time.