SCARBOROUGH — On paper, Scarborough High’s boys’ soccer team is an inexperienced bunch.
On the field, though, the 2012 and 2013 Class A state champions still look like a deep and skilled team with the ability to cash in on opportunities, as they did Saturday in a 2-0 win over Cheverus.
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Scarborough is 6-0. Cheverus (3-2) gave the Red Storm a strong run for most of the first 65 minutes, and both Scarborough goals were at least partially the result of shots that deflected off a defender.
Over the final stages of the second half, Scarborough’s depth – in conjunction with its ability to switch its attack from side to side – wore down the Stags. Stalwart seniors Sam Ware, a center midfielder, and Ian Corey in the middle of the defense are the only returners to the starting lineup from last year, but Coach Mark Diaz’s team still has plenty of skilled players on the field and in reserve.
“We are deep. We have a lot of young players that can play,” Ware said. “We trust in our younger players a lot.”
Scarborough scored in the 12th minute when Matt Caron’s hard left-footed shot spun off a Cheverus defender and sailed past Stags keeper Jake Tomkinson (eight saves). Caron got his chance when Cheverus, playing with a strong breeze at its back, was unable to clear the ball.
As the half wore on, Cheverus had some scoring chances, most notably a far-post header by Gerry Wagner off a long throw-in by Andrei Vile. The Stags had the better run of play over the final 10 minutes, with both Brady Levesque and primary scoring threat Mackenzie Hoglund putting pressure on the Scarborough defense.
“I thought the first half, outside of one really unfortunate bounce, we generated some really good opportunities. We just didn’t capitalize,” Cheverus Coach Colin Minte said. “That’s the biggest thing about playing Scarborough: Don’t give up any soft goals, which we did, and you’ve got to capitalize your opportunities, because in the second half we didn’t have any real opportunities.”
In the 46th minute, Garrett King beat Tomkinson to the ball and headed it into the goal after a Ware shot was deflected.
“I was just trying to get it on frame, and luckily one of the defenders deflected it right to Garrett and he did what he does best, win the ball up in the air and flick it over the keeper,” Ware said.
Scarborough keeper Sam Warren made his fourth and final save a minute later when he lunged to his right, and with his left hand was able to deflect a Hoglund drive from distance over the goal.
“A couple bounces went our way and that’s really how the goals came about,” Diaz said. “They’re a solid defensive team. They haven’t been giving up a lot of goals all year. You know, you stay active in the box and you hope something falls at your feet or, like the second one, at your head, and make the most of it.”
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