YARMOUTH—For a half Friday afternoon, Cheverus gave host Yarmouth everything it could handle in a Class A girls’ lacrosse state quarterfinal.

But these Clippers know what it takes to win in the playoffs and thanks to a second half surge, will have a chance to square off with their rival/nemesis in the next round.

The Stags, ranked sixth, took the lead four different times in the first half, but each time Yarmouth answered, the last on senior standout Neena Panozzo’s 100th career goal, and after Clippers senior big game goalie extraordinaire Regan Sullivan made three brilliant saves in a 34-second span late in the half, Panozzo scored with 49 seconds to go to put her team in front to stay.

Yarmouth then dominated possession in the second half, thanks to strong work in the draw circle from junior Maddie Jones, and behind goals from Panozzo, seniors Aine Powers, Lauren Keaney and Brooke Boone, extended its advantage to 9-4 heading for the fourth period.

There, Cheverus finally snapped a 24-plus-minute scoring drought, but it wasn’t enough and the Clippers went on to a 10-5 victory, keeping alive the program’s streak of never losing in the quarterfinal round.

Panozzo led the way with five goals and Sullivan made 13 huge saves as Yarmouth improved to 14-2 with its 10th consecutive victory, ended Cheverus’ fine season at 10-6 and in the process, advanced to the state semifinals and a showdown with three-time reigning Class A champion Kennebunk (15-1), the No. 2 seed, Tuesday at Scarborough High School at a time to be announced.

“In the third quarter, we finally played Yarmouth lacrosse,” said longtime Clippers coach Dorothy Holt. “We were nervous at first. Cheverus is a good team and they capitalized on our mistakes the first two quarters, but the third and fourth, I cannot complain.”

Coming to life

Cheverus has been a pleasant surprise this spring, holding its own with the best teams in Class A under new coach Will Tuttle, who moved over from the boys’ program.

The Stags won seven of their first eight games and four of their five losses were by two goals or less.

As the No. 6 seed, Cheverus surged in the fourth quarter Tuesday to eliminate No. 11 Cape Elizabeth, 12-9, in the preliminary round.

Yarmouth, meanwhile, has been its usual dominant self (see sidebar for links to previous stories), losing only to Falmouth and Kennebunk (by a single goal apiece), then finishing on an eight-game win streak to lock up the No. 3 ranking.

Tuesday, in the preliminary round, the Clippers had no trouble with No. 14 Oxford Hills, prevailing, 19-6.

In the teams’ regular season meeting April 23, Keaney scored four goals, while Boone and Powers each had three. The Stags were paced by senior Mackenzie Cash, who scored three times.

The teams had met just once prior in the playoffs, a 20-10 Yarmouth victory two years ago in the Class A North semifinals.

Friday, on a day which started in sunshine and 65 degrees and quickly turned chilly and cloudy, the Clippers got pushed, but pushed back and went on to victory.

Yarmouth had the first shot of the game, but Boone was denied by Cheverus’ excellent freshman goalie Lula Dockendorf.

At the other end, with 9:28 to go in the first quarter, senior Reese Belanger gave the Stags the jump, when she bounced a free position shot past Sullivan.

The Clippers needed only 11 seconds to answer, as Keaney won the draw to Powers, who raced in and passed to Panozzo for her first goal.

After Sullivan denied junior Sophia St. John on a free position, St. John got another free position opportunity and found the net with 7:01 on the clock for a 2-1 lead.

Again, Yarmouth quickly answered, as 38 seconds later, Powers fought her way through the defense and scored unassisted.

After Panozzo and Boone missed shots for the lead, freshman Sydney Brunelle was stopped by Sullivan on a rush, but with 43.2 seconds to go, Brunelle scored, from senior Taylor Krieger, for a 3-2 advantage after 12 minutes.

The second period would remain close, but the Clippers began to tilt the contest in their favor.

Early on, Panozzo was flustered, as she was robbed by Dockendorf, then hit the post.

But Panozzo got another chance with 9:24 remaining, taking a pass from Boone and firing a shot past Dockendorf to tie the score for the third time.

Cheverus then went on top for the fourth time, as Brunelle set up Belanger for a goal with 8:52 remaining in the half, but the Stags’ 4-3 lead would be their highwater mark, as they wouldn’t score again until the game was in the fourth period.

After Dockendorf robbed Boone and Boone and Powers each missed just wide, Powers set up Panozzo for the tying goal with 2:14 remaining in the first half.

And it wasn’t just any goal.

It was the 100th goal of Panozzo’s high school career.

Panozzo became the third Yarmouth player on this year’s team to reach 100 goals, as Powers achieved it last season and Keaney got there during the regular season (and Boone is closing in on the milestone).

That trio joined such program luminaries as Emily Johnson (Class of 2006), Danielle Torres (2011), Grace O’Donnell (2014), Eva Then (2018), Annie Lowenstein (2021) and Katelyn D’Appolonia (2022).

“I think this just shows, especially since I’m the third one, that we work hard and we push each other and we’re all capable of doing great things,” Panozzo said. “I owe it to the people above me who push me to be good, especially Regan, because she’s such a good goalie that she helps me with shot placement.

“We rely on Neena,” Holt said. “She’s the most versatile player on our team. One year, she’s in the midfield. One year, she’s a high attacker and the next year, she’s low. She’s a special player that you need on the team. She scores goals and she leads by example. She’s a hard worker in school. She’s a leader with her peers on and off the field in every sport she plays. It’s truly special to have that. She knows she’s amazing. She’s not the flashy player on our team, but she’s so consistent.”

The game then turned for good in the waning moments of the half.

Cheverus had three great looks to retake the lead, but Sullivan robbed St. John off the subsequent draw, then denied free position bids from freshman Sophia Tamulevich and Cash.

All in a 34-second span.

“It takes a little bit to read the other players and figure them out,” said Sullivan. “After a couple shots, I was able to make saves and my defense shut them down as well. Sonja (Bell), Annie (Hunter), Fiona (Bergen) and Emaline (Hill), they all do a great job. When I’m in goal, there’s not much going on in my head. I make some saves and get into a routine.”

The Clippers then went back on the attack and with 49.4 seconds left, after scooping up a turnover, Boone fed Panozzo for the goal which gave Yarmouth the lead for good.

Boone was robbed seconds later and the Clippers held a 5-4 advantage at the break.

While the Stags won eight of 11 first half draws, five Sullivan saves helped put Yarmouth in front.

The Clippers then got some breathing room in the third quarter.

The Clippers only needed 56 seconds of the second half to extend their lead, as Boone set up Panozzo for what proved to be her final goal of the game.

After Jones won the ensuing draw, Powers raced in and scored unassisted with 10:51 on the clock and one could sense that Yarmouth was seizing control.

Forty-six seconds later, Powers set up Keaney and in the span of just 4 minutes, 9 seconds, the Clippers had turned a one-goal deficit into an 8-4 lead.

“We were patient in the second half,” Panozzo said. “We knew if we maintained possession, we would win the game.”

Sullivan then returned to centerstage, denying Brunelle, robbing Belanger, saving another shot from Brunelle, then robbing both St. John and Cash to preserve the lead.

With just 13.9 seconds on the clock, Boone scored unassisted and Yarmouth took a five-goal lead to the fourth period.

There, after Dockendorf twice denied Zinman, Zinman got a rebound and sent it home with 9:37 on the clock for the Clippers’ final goal.

With 8:45 to play, Belanger scored unassisted, ending Yarmouth’s 7-0 run and a 24 minute, 7 second scoring drought, but the Stags couldn’t creep any closer, as Sullivan made one final big save, on a St. John free position, and Yarmouth closed out its 10-5 victory.

“It obviously means a lot more, especially as a senior,” said Sullivan. “We’re super-aware that any game we play could be our last. To bring extra energy was a focal point today. We knew it would be a tight game and we prepared for that.”

“I told the girls before the game and again after the first quarter, this was going to be a pressure game, and they showed how they could handle pressure,” Holt said.

Panozzo paced the offense with five goals, while Powers had two and Boone, Keaney and Zinman finished with one apiece.

Boone and Powers also had three assists each.

Sullivan dazzled with 13 saves.

“Regan’s saves got us all hyped and we kept playing hard,” said Panozzo.

“Regan made a ton of big saves,” Holt said. “She’s beyond words right now. She gets a defense ready and really works. You couldn’t ask for a more solid, confident, kind, caring goalie. And she’s competitive. She steps up in big games. She’s so coachable.”

The Clippers had a 10-9 edge in the draw circle, a 25-24 edge in ground balls (Powers had a game-high six), a 29-20 shots advantage (19-18 on cage) and overcame 17 turnovers.

Building block

Cheverus was paced by Belanger, who scored three times. Brunelle and St. John also found the net.

Brunelle and Krieger had one assist apiece.

Dockendorf made nine saves.

Belanger, Brunelle, Cash and Krieger all collected four ground balls.

The Stags committed 17 turnovers.

“We couldn’t get the ball in the second half and they held on to it,” Tuttle lamented. “We had long defensive possessions. Their goalie was incredible. She played really well. Yarmouth’s a great team. We’re a young team and I think we learned a lot. We felt like we could play with just about anybody this year.

“We did have a good year. I didn’t know the girls coming in, so I give them credit for being flexible with a coach who has coached boys for so long. The girls know the game and helped me along the way. Our seniors played outstanding. Like any good team, if you have good seniors, you’ll go far.”

Cheverus graduates eight seniors, with Belanger, Cash and Krieger leading the way, but several other key contributors will return and the Stags will be heard from again in 2025.

“It’s my first year coaching girls, so I still have a lot to learn,” Tuttle said. “We’re very excited and look forward to things to come.”

State game come early

Yarmouth and Kennebunk have done battle in the Class A state final the past two seasons, but this spring, they’ll meet a round sooner.

The Rams, who had a 58-game win streak snapped earlier this season, eked out an 8-7 win at Yarmouth May 1.

The teams have a rich playoff history, having met nine previous times, seven of them in state games, with the Clippers holding a 5-4 overall advantage.

“We just have to come in strong and work hard in practice and know we have to give it our all so it won’t be our last game,” said Panozzo.

“We just have to play as a team and come out strong,” Sullivan said. “If we play together, we can get it done.”

“We’re really strong right now,” added Holt. “We still have some work to do on not throwing the ball away, but we’re right where we need to be. We’re playing much better than last time. It’s going to be a good matchup. They’re good, we’re good. That’s why we’re in Class A is to have these games. It’s fun. The girls are giddy and I still get nervous.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net

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