SCARBOROUGH – Kerry Mariello, the fiesty field hockey coach at Scarborough High, needed only two words to sum up the Red Storm’s 6-1 win over Cheverus on Friday: “Statement made.”

If anyone had doubted the Red Storm were still the team to beat in Western Class A, this week answered any questions. After beating then-No. 2 Westbrook on Monday, top-ranked Scarborough likely sealed the No.1 seed by routing the second-ranked Stags.

Friday’s game was a huge statement, especially after Cheverus scored the first goal. With Sarah Bunting scoring three goals and assisting on another, Scarborough (11-1) dominated the Stags (9-3).

Scarborough kept the offensive pressure on, getting a 14-3 advantage in penalty corners (scoring three goals off corners), and held the Stags to just two shots in the final 55 minutes.

“I think it was nerves,” said Scarborough junior back Shauni Cowan, who along with Domonique Burnham blunted most Cheverus’ attempts, “Once they got that goal, we knew we had to go out there and do our best. We needed to show how aggressive and together we were today.”

Cheverus controlled the early moments, and eventually got a corner. Anna McDonough inserted the ball from the right of the goal to Emily Sawchuck, who blasted a hard, low drive into the net just 4:03 in.

“That first goal was kind of like a wake-up call for us,” said Bunting. “Kind of like, all right, they’re going to bring everything, so we are too. And the score proves it.”

Still it looked like that one goal might hold, with Scarborough missing the net on its bests chances. But Scarborough started taking the play to the Stags, and they didn’t respond. The Red Storm scored goals just 91 seconds apart to take the lead. Bunting scored off a corner with 7:26 left and then by Rachael Millett with 5:55 left from Bunting off a nice play started by Lindsay Dobecki and Karli-An Gilbert.

Then Bunting scored again with 28.8 seconds left in the first half for a 3-1 lead. Kelsey Howard shot the ball into the circle from outside, and a Cheverus defender played it, making the ball live. Dobecki got the ball at the right post and passed over to Bunting, who was uncovered in front. She didn’t miss.

“My position was to be right there,” said Bunting. “But everyone else did a ton of work, 99 percent.”

Mariello said that goal was vital.

“When it’s 2-1, it’s still a game,” she said. “But getting that one more, it was one more that they had to overcome, it was a little of a backbreaker.”

Cheverus came out with a couple of corners early in the second half, but Scarborough goalie Shannon Hicks made a nice pad save on Sawchuck. Then Bunting scored again with 16:49 left, assisted by Dobecki, to really take control.

“We just came out and I think the nerves took over for us,” said Amy McMullin, coach of the Stags. “We completely lost everything we had worked so hard for since Day One. But there’s nothing like a good beating before playoffs to get you motivated.

“It was a bad game on our part. Scarborough’s a great team. We don’t have any excuses, just a bad game.”

And a game that the Red Storm celebrated loudly.

“Cheverus is a really hard team to beat,” said Bunting. “And this was a lot like a championship game for our area.”

 

Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at: mlowe@pressherald.com

 

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