Special to the Leader

Potential… That’s the word used in sports to define a team that has all the elements to be successful. These are teams that are strong and fast, technically skilled at their positions, and they get a lot of ‘oohs and ahhhs’ from crowds because of their ability. They also create a lot of frustration because they are inconsistent.

Champions… This is the title bestowed on teams that win titles. These are teams that have realized their full potential. The key factors in determining champions centers less on pure talent and more on subtle characteristics. They tend to be highly cohesive teams that adapt to conditions with stunning quickness. They pressure opponents relentlessly on defense, and make them pay instantly for their mistakes. Champions don’t make a lot of mistakes, and while they may not be as flashy, they are kings of consistency.

The Red Storm will enter the playoffs this year as a team with enormous potential, but with the realization that if they are to be champions again, they will need to find some of those missing pieces. They are there, as evidenced by the team’s two games last week.

In the first, Scarborough hosted the Kennebunk Rams, a team with a long legacy of lacrosse. On a cold, rainy night the Rams were looking for payback against a Scarborough team that blew them out in the Western Maine class A finals a year ago. 

Unfortunately for Kennebunk, the defending champions showed up. Moving the ball with patience and precision on offense, the Storm rolled to a 6-2 lead with Brendan Ham scoring a hat trick in the half. Matt Mayo and Danny Clark added two more goals each, and Jake Barrett capped the scoring in an 8-3 route.

Against the Rams, the Red Storm showed poise and a defense that controlled the tempo throughout. Nick Prince was excellent for the Storm, breaking up the Kennebunk offense with checks time and again.

Scarborough Coach Joe Hezlep commented on the win after the game. “We’re playing a lot more patient on offense. We’re not forcing nearly as much, and we’re getting much better looks. We’re moving the ball around and making defenses work a lot harder.” 

Hezlep also made a point of praising Prince for his play, saying, “He had a great game. It could have been his best night so far this season.”

The Storm next visited the Cape Elizabeth Capers on a Saturday evening in a game that both teams saw as a good indicator of where they stood in the top tier of teams in the state. The Capers are holders of more lacrosse championships than they can recall, but none in the past seven years. Scarborough on the other hand, is an up and coming program, with 2 state titles in the past three years. It was a good night to see who would rise to the occasion.

And on this night, the Capers ruled. Scoring five goals in just over the first quarter, Cape Elizabeth put themselves in control of the game early. 

This was a different game than Kennebunk for Scarborough players. The potential was still there, as evidenced by the final three quarters of play in which Cape scored three times to the Storm’s two. But the cohesiveness and consistency on offense and defense was missing.

The Red Storm did a good job on face offs, with Nick Broadhurst and Mike Cyr winning the majority of the draws in the game, but it seemed that every time a face off was won, an errant pass ensued and Cape took over possession. 

The Capers on the other hand, while not amazingly big or fast, simply took care of the ball, particularly on transition where they scored all of their goals.

“Cape was great in transition.” Hezelp said. “They made some great plays in the open field. That put us down early and gave their goalie some confidence. He made a lot of good saves. We put some solid looks on him, but they just weren’t good enough.”

The Red Storm defense was clicking after the first quarter, but during those first 12 minutes, they made some big errors, gambling on checks that, when missed, allowed Cape some point blank shots on goalie Ryan Kane.

Hezlep saw it this way; “Ryan made some great saves later on, but the first five goals he gave up were all on shots from inside five yards all coming off assists. Those are almost impossible to save and we didn’t give him a chance.”

When the Red Storm offense started to get some possessions, they were tentative. Passes were slow and off target, not allowing any sort of movement.

“The game wasn’t crisp for us,” Hezlep said. 

“We didn’t throw and catch well and we didn’t do the little things in transition. We missed assignments, and picking up ground balls was huge for them. They really did a number on us there. We did a good job of possessing the ball today once we settled down. Later in the second half we had some good possessions and we’ve got some younger guys that are moving the ball well, we’re just not creating enough opportunities.”

So what does a team with enormous potential and championship experience do to prepare for the playoffs?

Hezlep had a quick reply. “It’s going to have to happen with better practice. We’re going to have to expect more, because it’s there. There are times when we do it right, but it’s not often enough.”

And that pretty much sums up what it takes to be champions. It’s great to be the most athletic group, but the most consistent team, that makes the fewest mistakes is usually the team that stands at the end with the state trophy.