When you are a relatively young program without a postseason win, you don’t go wild with expectations.

But Noble High Coach Keith St. Cyr can’t help but be positive.

“I knew we would be a competitive team, considering I have eight seniors and a top-shelf backstopper,” St. Cyr said. “I thought we had a realistic chance of making the playoffs.”

Nearly two-thirds through the season, Noble is not only on track for the Western Class A playoffs, but with a high seed. The Knights are 10-1 and second to Biddeford (9-0-2) in the Heal point standings.

“I wouldn’t have guessed we’d be 10-1 at this point in the season,” St. Cyr said, “but the kids have worked very hard.”

True, Noble is benefiting from Tier II status — no Biddeford, Thornton Academy, Falmouth or East powers on the schedule. But the Knight have a solid 6-4 win over Scarborough.

And on Monday, Noble avenged its only defeat with a decisive 8-3 win over Cheverus.

York and Portland remain the toughest opponents as the Knights push for the playoffs and success in them.

Noble finished 13-5 last year but lost to Falmouth 11-1 in the first round of the playoffs. In 2009, an 11-7 Noble team reached the postseason but lost in double overtime to South Portland.

In 2011, the Knights are improved and experienced.

Senior goalie Ben Haskell has a 2.09 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.

Noble’s top five scorers are seniors — Jesse Cotty (12 goals-14 assists), David Sullivan (14-11), Dana Woodworth (10-14), William Rodden (10-8), and Grady Wheeler (6-9).

Rodden reached 100 points (54-46) in his career with a three-point effort against Cheverus (two goals, one assist).

Cotty should reach 100 points soon. He has 97 (43-54) with seven games left.

“I have had them on the same line since I took the team over their sophomore year,” St. Cyr said. “Their chemistry was instant. They compliment each other perfectly.

“Jesse leans towards being a playmaker whereas (Rodden) is truly a goal-scorer. But in the end they have helped each other get there.”

BIDDEFORD BECAME the only undefeated team in the West when the Tigers (9-0-2) beat Greely 5-2 on Saturday.

Biddeford used a strong first period, taking a 3-0 lead on an 18-4 shot advantage to top the Rangers (8-1-1).

Greely remains the team to beat in Western Class B.

TONIGHT’S GAMES include Scarborough (5-6) putting its three-game win streak on the line against Falmouth (5-4-2) at 7 p.m. at the MHG Ice Centre in Saco.

In girls’ hockey, Falmouth plays host to Leavitt-Edward Little at 7 p.m. Both teams are in fourth place in their regions in the Heal point standings.

The top four teams in each region will make next week’s playoffs.

Falmouth (7-9) has a comfortable lead over fifth-place Biddeford (5-10-1) in the West, while Leavitt/Edward Little (8-7-1) recently slipped by fifth-place Brunswick (7-8-1).

THE SCARBOROUGH girls are headed to the No. 1 seed in the West, but will finish their schedule against two of their chief competitors — against York at 3 p.m. Friday and against St. Dominic at 1 p.m. Saturday.

In its previous encounters with the two, Scarborough tied York 0-0 and lost to St. Dom’s, 3-2.

Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or at:

kthomas@pressherald.com

 

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