Cape Elizabeth attackman Tim Lavallee and Falmouth defender Mike Ryan expect to be teammates at Providence College next spring.

But it will be business as usual when the Yachtsmen are home against the undefeated Capers in a showdown between Western Class B’s top two teams tonight.

“We’ve always been friends from the summer leagues and stuff, but now it’s on a whole different level,” Lavallee said. “It’s now weird going against him because we’re going to the same college.”

Each wants the other to do well, but not that well.

“It’s always hard when you’re playing against your friends from other teams, but you just have to put it aside for an hour or so,” Ryan said. “It’s business on the field.”

“It’s almost like you don’t want to beat him because you still want him to look good,” Lavallee said, “but I obviously want to win.”

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Both look forward to the challenge of playing one another.

“He’s definitely the best defender in the state in my opinion, and it’s always a great matchup going against him,” Lavallee said. “He’s such a good defender that I always face the dilemma (of whether) to dodge against him or trust my teammates, and let them create the offense.”

Ryan said he’ll try to forget he’s playing against Lavallee.

“I don’t really try to focus on who I’m guarding,” he said. “You’re just guarding an attackman and you have a job to make plays, and it doesn’t really matter who it is.”

On April 21, Lavallee scored three second-half goals to lead Cape Elizabeth (7-0) to an 8-6 win against Falmouth (7-1).

“Over the years I’ve done pretty well against him, but he got a couple of goals against me in the second half of the (season) opener that I didn’t like,” Ryan said.

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While Ryan has been on the radar of the Providence coaching staff for some time, Lavallee didn’t draw much interest until he went to a play day at the Division I school last summer.

“He came down to a clinic I played in last summer (at) Providence with a group of incoming freshmen in our class and he definitely stood out, even down there,” Ryan said.

Originally, Lavallee intended to play lacrosse in Division III.

“I went to the play day at Providence. It was a one-day thing at the college,” he said, “and I just played really well and impressed the coach.”

 

THE MASSABESIC girls are off to their best start since winning the Class A championship in 2007.

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The Mustangs are 6-2 after pulling out an 8-7 overtime victory Monday night at Kennebunk.

“We feel pretty good about this team,” Coach Brooks Bowen said. “We continue to improve on a day-to-day basis.”

Last season the Mustangs went 6-6, ending up perhaps a win away from qualifying for a berth in the Western Class A tournament.

“We came into this season a little bit more motivated than in the previous year,” Bowen said.

Five seniors, seven juniors and three sophomores figure in the regular rotation.

“We don’t have a leading scorer,” Bowen said. “We’ve done a good job of spreading it around.”

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Last week, Samantha Emmons scored a career-high eight goals during a 16-8 victory against North Yarmouth Academy. Six other players also scored for the Mustangs in that game.

“We like the fact we have a lot of different scorers,” Bowen said. “If you shut down one girl, we have other players who can score. We’re tough to defend.”

 

Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at: pbetit@pressherald.com

Twitter: PaulBetitPPH

 


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