SCARBOROUGH—Scarborough’s boys’ lacrosse team started the 2024 season with three consecutive losses.
But the Red Storm are ending the campaign in surging fashion, as a squad that no one will want to face when the playoffs commence next month.
Tuesday evening at the Kippy Mitchell Sports Complex, Scarborough hosted one of the hottest teams in the state, the Deering Rams, and smothered the Rams’ potent attack, while getting just enough offense to earn another victory.
Neither team could get anything going in a first quarter which ended 1-0 Red Storm, thanks to a goal from senior Olin Pedersen.
With standout senior goalie Ben Kerbel stopping eight first half shots, Scarborough never relinquished the lead and behind goals from senior Sebastian Furr and Pedersen, it held a 3-1 advantage at halftime.
Pedersen scored twice more in the third period to push the advantage to 5-2 and sophomore Liam Sellinger scored twice in the fourth quarter to put it away and even though Deering got two goals back late, it was far from enough as Scarborough prevailed, 7-4.
Pedersen led the way with four goals, Kerbel made 16 saves and the Red Storm won their eighth game in 10 outings, improved to 8-5 and in the process, dropped the Rams to 9-4, snapping their win streak at six.
“This is pretty awesome,” said Kerbel. “It’s huge for us. We really wanted to win this game. We did a lot of preparation and it paid off. Coach (Zac Barrett) hammered into us that this would decide where we’d play in the playoffs. They’re a good team and they were hot.”
Teams on the rise
Neither squad got off to a fast start this spring, but it’s not about how you play in April, but what you look like going into June that matters and both teams have saved their best for last.
The Red Storm dropped their first three games, 8-6 to visiting Windham, 12-3 at three-time Class A champion Cape Elizabeth and 12-4 to visiting Falmouth before getting in the win column at Cheverus (12-3). After rallying to beat host South Portland (9-8), Scarborough lost at home to Thornton Academy (9-6), but knocked off host Oak Hill (10-8) and Portland (10-2). After a 15-8 home loss to Yarmouth, the Red Storm doubled up visiting Brunswick (10-5) and won at Gorham (10-1) and Massabesic (15-8).
“We just had to focus on fundamentals and doing the little things right,” said Barrett. “The boys bought in. Once the fundamentals came into play, we were able to scheme a little bit and could try different things.”
Deering, meanwhile, had no answers for visiting Thornton Academy (16-6) or host Falmouth (21-1) to start the year, but the Rams found their footing and defeated visiting Massabesic (27-16), host Freeport (11-1) and host Gorham (10-5). After dropping a close 11-9 home decision to reigning Class B champion York, Deering beat host Westbrook (20-2), visiting Maranacook (21-10), visiting Windham (12-11), host Mt. Ararat (11-3), host Marshwood (8-4) and visiting Cheverus (14-8) in its most recent outing Friday.
Last year, Scarborough came to Deering and prevailed, 15-5.
Tuesday, on a pleasant 74 degree evening), after Scarborough’s eight seniors were honored in a pregame ceremony, the Rams hoped to beat the Red Storm for the first time in six years, but instead, Scarborough made it four straight in the series.
Deering senior Trip Marston and Scarborough junior Kevin Collins take the opening faceoff of the Red Storm’s 7-4 victory Tuesday. Hoffer photos.
Both Kerbel and Deering sophomore Vinny Cavallaro stole the show early, as Kerbel saved early shots from senior standout Andrew Burke and sophomore Corbin Burke and at the other end, Cavallaro denied senior Caleb Wandell, sophomore Nick Harmon, Pedersen and sophomore Owen Pepler and Pedersen fired a shot off the crossbar.
Pedersen then put the Red Storm in front to stay with 2:42 to go in the opening stanza, finishing unassisted.
After Andrew Burke hit the post and Corbin Burke missed wide, Kerbel saved a shot from sophomore Joey Foley to end the frame.
Kerbel preserved the lead when the second quarter started, saving shots from Corbin Burke and Andrew Burke, while Foley missed wide.
Then, with 10:13 left in the first half, Pedersen set up Furr for a shot Cavallaro couldn’t stop, doubling the lead.
The Rams finally broke through with 7:40 remaining, snapping a 16 minute, 20 second scoring drought, as Foley ripped a rocket on the run past Kerbel for an unassisted tally.
Andrew Burke tried to pull Deering even, but he missed high, then had a shot saved by Kerbel, who also denied Foley later in the half.
After Cavallaro denied Pedersen and robbed Sellinger, Pedersen hit the crossbar again, but with 1:04 on the clock, Pedersen finished, from Sellinger, to make it 3-1 Scarborough at the break.
Scarborough sophomore Nick Harmon defends Deering senior Andrew Burke.
The Rams tried to answer early in the second half, but Andrew Burke missed wide, then he had a shot saved by Kerbel.
After Sellinger was off target, Pedersen extended the lead, as sophomore Nick Harmon passed the ball in, it deflected off the back of a Deering defender right to Pedersen, who finished with 9:28 to go in the third quarter.
Deering countered with 7:35 on the clock, as Andrew Burke set up Corbin Burke for a goal, snapping a 12:01 drought, but the Rams weren’t able to get any closer, as Foley missed wide, then was denied by Kerbel.
With 5:34 on the clock, Pedersen fought his way through the defense before beating Cavallaro for his final goal and a 5-2 lead.
“We had to get comfortable with the ball,” said Pedersen. “We had a new set we were trying to get looks from. (Deering) switched from (man-to-man defense) to zone, but eventually we got comfortable and put the ball in the back of the cage.”
After Cavallaro robbed Sellinger, Kerbel protected the lead by saving a shot from Corbin Burke, sending the game to the fourth period with the score 5-2.
There, Sellinger provided some insurance with 10:20 remaining, taking a pretty over-the-shoulder pass from Pedersen and finishing.
Sellinger then struck again, from Harmon, with 6:43 on the clock to push the lead to five goals.
But Deering refused to go quietly, as Corbin Burke scored from junior Zach Ayan man-up with 1:35 to go, then with 41.2 seconds left, Foley scored unassisted, but junior Kevin Collins won the ensuing faceoff and Scarborough was able to run out the clock and celebrate its 7-4 triumph.
Scarborough players mob senior goalie Ben Kerbel at the conclusion of Tuesday’s victory.
“We knew we had to win it,” Pedersen said. “It was important to win on Senior Night. They were worth a lot of Heal Points. This was a huge win. Great effort, from the goaltending to the defense to attack.”
“I’m thrilled with the guys doing that this time of year and finishing the season the way we’d hoped,” said Barrett.
Pedersen had a team-high four goals, to go with two assists.
“Olin has scored a lot in the past, but he wasn’t the number one guy,” Barrett said. “This year, he’s had to be and he’s stepped up and filled that role. He’s gotten better every game.”
Sellinger added two goals and Furr had the other.
Harmon had two assists and Sellinger finished with one.
Kerbel was once again superb with 16 saves and he got a lot of help from his defense, which forced Deering into outside shots that were easy for Kerbel to deny.
“I was seeing the ball pretty well,” Kerbel said. “They shot a lot from the outside because our defense forced the outside shots. They didn’t let them get inside too often. We slid where we needed to slide. It was a great team effort on defense.”
“The defense has been great as a unit,” Barrett said. “They understand what Ben’s capable of. Ben’s such a luxury to have back there. Forcing bad shots don’t only turn into a save, but into an outlet. I can’t talk about Ben enough and how good he is. I think he’s the best goalie in the state right now.”
Sophomores Kyle Gambardella and Lucas Renaud each had a team-high four ground balls.
The Red Storm won nine of 15 faceoffs, had a 32-30 edge in shots and overcame 18 turnovers.
Deering got two goals apiece from Corbin Burke and Foley and one assist each from Ayan and Andrew Burke, but didn’t come close to matching its normal offensive production.
“Their goalie is really good,” said Rams coach Geoff Arris. “He stood on his head like he typically does. We couldn’t quite create what we were looking for. It’s frustrating. We were feeling pretty good coming in.”
Cavallaro made 10 saves.
The Rams had a 27-23 advantage on ground balls (Andrew Burke collected a game-high nine) and a 20-17 edge in shots on frame. They turned the ball over on 17 occasions.
Finale
Deering (which was clinging to the fourth spot in the Class A state Heal Points standings at press time) has one game left, Thursday at home versus South Portland.
“We have to get back to work for South Portland Thursday,” Arris said. “That will be a big one. We hope to stay four.
“I’m extremely pleased with our season so far. The guys have really bought in to everything we’ve worked on. We have a lot of new faces and they’ve stepped up. We just need to relax and trust each other and I think it will come together.”
Scarborough (which has bolted up the standings into the No. 5 spot in Class A) finishes at Marshwood Thursday, then it hopes to host a playoff game as just the first step in a deep postseason run.
“This will keep us up driving into the playoffs,” Kerbel said. “We have athleticism. We just have to clean it up and give it 110 (percent) every play. That’s our biggest thing.”
“We’ve gotten better and we’re showing everyone we’re a challenge no matter who we’re playing,” Pedersen said. “We’ve really come together.”
“There’s no pressure,” added Barrett. “We have momentum going into the playoffs. I don’t know what we’re capable of, but it’s exciting to figure it out. Our goal is to face one of the top three teams in a semifinal and put it all on the table.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.
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