LEWISTON — Scarborough High’s boys’ hockey team can take shot after shot, putting on pressure. But the Red Storm can also play a little defense.
Scarborough played a complete game Saturday afternoon and beat Cheverus 4-1 in a Class A South semifinal at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.
Cam Nigro, Cam Smith and Skylar Pettingill scored for the Red Storm, and Matt Caron added an empty-netter. Jesse Pierce scored for Cheverus.
Top-seeded Scarborough (15-2-3) will next play No. 2 Falmouth (16-4) in the South final Tuesday night at the Colisee. The two teams split during the season.
No. 4 Cheverus is done at 9-10-1.
Scarborough, the defending state champion, outshot the Stags 33-15, including 11-2 in a scoreless first period. Cheverus sophomore goalie Jason Halverson kept his team in it with several good saves and an impressive poke check on the dangerous Caron.
“We’re peppering this guy and he’s doing a heck of a job,” Scarborough Coach Norm Gagne said. “I told our kids just to stay patient … We stayed focused, and we kept playing good defense.
Cheverus was giving extra attention to Caron, and the Red Storm were intent on stopping Stags forward Luke Trickey.
But Caron did his damage on a faceoff in the second period. Setting up in the Cheverus zone, Caron knew he had Nigro atop the circle.
“Matt won it cleanly, perfectly, right on my stick,” Nigro said. “(I just) shot as hard as I could.”
The puck sailed inside the far post, just under the crossbar, at 5:25.
Cheverus tied it three minutes later. A solid check from Garrett Dion freed the puck in the slot for Pierce, who roofed it at 8:33.
But the Red Storm grabbed the momentum right back. A poor clearing pass by Cheverus went right to the stick of defenseman Colin Hayward at the blue line. He fired it into a crowd, and Smith deflected it in at 10:04.
“Scarborough is going to make you pay,” Cheverus Coach Dan Lucas said. “They crowd the net quick.”
Cheverus went on its first power play with 17 seconds left in the second period, as Trickey drew an interference penalty. The Red Storm were around Trickey all night.
“I had his number circled right here,” Gagne said, holding his program. “You have to watch him. He has a lot of speed and he knows how to use it.
“I have to give our kids a lot of credit for our defense.”
Cheverus’ power play ended early in the third when the Stags were penalized. Just seconds after the Cheverus’ penalty expired, Cameron Pettingill scored from a scrum in front of the net to make it 3-1.
The Stags got two more power plays, including one at 11:35. Cheverus pulled Halverson a minute later for a six-on-four advantage, but the Stags could not generate an attack.
“We weren’t together on the power play,” Lucas said. “It was frustrating to watch.”
Shortly after the penalty expired, Caron found the empty net.
Halverson finished with 29 saves. Scarborough goalie Ross LeBlond had 14 saves.
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