SCARBOROUGH – The Cheverus girls’ soccer team scored the first goal allowed this season by Scarborough, but the top-ranked Red Storm dominated the second half for a 2-1 win over the No. 5 Stags in a Western Class A semifinal Saturday night.

Scarborough improves to 16-0 and moves on to the regional final Wednesday against No. 2 Thornton Academy, which advanced with a 2-1 win over Greely.

Scarborough gave up a goal for the first time when Cheverus midfielder Allison Thomas drilled a penalty kick just to the right of goalie Jill Deering 15 minutes into the match.

Deering shared goaltending duties this season with Abby Van Note. Coach Mike Farley said he wasn’t concerned about giving up a goal, and that he only worried about the rest of his team stepping up its play in front of the net.

“That’s the nature of penalty kicks, you don’t expect to save them. Jill has been our goalie the last four to five games. And she’s made some big saves. I wanted the continuity we’ve had in those games,” Farley said.

The difference in Saturday’s win, Farley said, was the intensity his players brought in the second half, which he called a complete turnaround from the sluggishness in the first half.

“Even before that goal, they were not playing as well as they can,” Farley said.

“They were not driving forward; were not as quick to the ball. But then (we) scored that goal at the start of the second half and they had that effort back.”

Just 1 minute, 20 seconds into the second half, junior midfielder Meghan Tyson was left open for a moment about 15 yards out and drilled the ball past Stags goalie Jessica Krause.

Suddenly, all the momentum shifted.

Cheverus put pressure on the Scarborough goal, but Deering never wavered in the second half, as the senior stopped six shots.

Meanwhile, the Red Storm capitalized on their next great chance. Jessica Broadhurst moved up from midfield and found an opening through several players from 10 yards.

“I couldn’t see the goal, but I knew I could put it inside so I just ripped it,” Broadhurst said of the winner.

“We knew we had to get it back.”

The goal put Scarborough ahead with 24:59 to play, and Cheverus never regained the energy it had in the first half.

“I told them at the half if we could match them the first 10 minutes of the second half we could win. Cheverus Coach Dan LaVallee said.

“But then they had that fluky goal. (Tyson) just cranked it. She smashed it. And then the next goal bounced all over before it went in.

“But I’m so pleased how they played. There is a reason Scarborough went undefeated, without giving up a goal.”

Krause stopped five shots for Cheverus.

 

Staff writer Deirdre Fleming can be contacted at 791-6452 or at dfleming@pressherald.com

 

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