When the Cheverus field hockey team needed a boost Monday, Rebecca Archer and Hannah Abbott provided it.

Archer had two goals and an assist, and Abbott had a goal and an assist as the Stags scored four second-half goals to pull away for a 4-1 victory over Biddeford in a Western Class A game at Cheverus High.

“We didn’t come out as energetic as we should have and it really showed,” Archer said. “We’ve definitely been a comeback team and that showed in the second half.”

Cheverus trailed 1-0 at the half, but Archer got the Stags going 37 seconds into the second. She picked up a pass in the center circle and made her way through the Biddeford defense to beat goalie Marissa Heffernan (10 saves) to tie the game.

“Rebecca is a competitor,” Cheverus Coach Amy Ashley said. “If I tell her to run through a wall, she’ll do it. Players need a teammate like that, someone to provide that spark when you need it.”

Following a penalty corner about 3 minutes later, Abbott poked in a pass from Archer to give the Stags a 2-1 lead. Abbott returned the favor with 21:44 left, slipping the ball to Archer for a 3-1 lead. Hattie Train made it 4-1, finishing a cross from Emily Michaud with 14:16 left.

All of this came after Biddeford took a 1-0 lead 6:19 into the first half when senior midfielder Mallory Mourmouras set up right wing Charlotte White.

“It was a fun first half, the girls were pumped to be up 1-0 against Cheverus,” said Biddeford Coach Caitlin Albert.

It was a turn of good fortune for Biddeford, which is struggling with numbers this season. The Tigers arrived with 13 players and played 12.

Starting back Alex Chase then went down with a knee injury about five minutes into the game.

Meanwhile, the Stags (2-0), who list 16 field players on their roster, used the spark provided by Archer and Abbott, and a steady substitution rotation to wear down the Tigers (1-1).

Cheverus started slow, which Ashley said it has done three times this season, including an exhibition game and a 3-2 season-opening win at Westbrook.

“They tell me what coaches want to hear, but they didn’t show me what coaches want to see,” Ashley said.

“We talked a lot (at halftime) about actions speaking louder than words. I was very happy with at second half.”

Cheverus took a commanding led, but Mourmouras, Abbie Paquette and forward Sophany Srey kept the pressure on the Stags’ defense, which was led by senior back Kelsey Masselli and keeper Casey Simpson (five saves).

“You don’t want to have to rely on being a second-half team,” Ashley said.

“We really want to make things happen sooner. We have to figure out as a team how to be mentally prepared when we step out on the field.”

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