BRUNSWICK — The Cheverus High boys’ lacrosse team traveled to Brunswick for a playoff game for the fifth straight season Saturday, and for the fourth time the game was decided by one goal.

Top-ranked Brunswick needed to win the final faceoff to secure its 10-9 victory in a Class A North semifinal.

Fourth-seeded Cheverus (9-5) had several good chances to score in the final two minutes prior to Michael Hatch cutting the Brunswick lead to one with a low-angle shot past Logan Ouellette (five saves) with 7.1 seconds to play.

“It’s always a good battle,” Brunswick Coach Don Glover said. “The Cheverus players are always good athletes and work hard. I knew it would be a good test.”

Cheverus also had two shots ring off the goal cage in the fourth quarter.

Brunswick (11-2) has eliminated Cheverus for three straight seasons, winning 18-8 in 2015 and by a goal in 2014. Cheverus won one-goal games in 2012 and 2013.

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“We responded really well this year,” Hatch said. “Last year we didn’t do that well, but we responded well this year.”

The Stags got the early jump, with Max Coffin, Mackenzie Hoglund and Finn Cawley scoring for a 3-0 lead, while Cheverus’ tightly packed zone defense limited Brunswick to only outside shots on keeper Sean Walsh (eight saves).

Christian Glover – the lone starter back from last year’s title team – ripped home a shot with his long-stick pole from about 20 yards with 9.6 seconds left in the first quarter.

“That was a momentum changer,” Cheverus Coach Bill Bodwell said.

Hatch got the first goal of the second quarter on a nice curl move, but Brunswick responded with the most dominant stretch by either team, scoring six straight goals to take a 7-4 lead to the half.

Ben Palizay (twice), Christian Glover and Josh Dorr each scored from distance on precise shots. Aiden Glover, a freshman, scored on a fast break after defenseman Nate Granholm adeptly used his feet to clear the ball and create the opportunity.

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Aiden Glover capped the spree with a behind-the-head shot off a crisp pass from Max Gramins in transition.

In the second half, Gramins scored all three Brunswick goals – each from in close after taking a pass from Jameson Cyr.

“By shooting from afar we opened them up in the middle,” Gramins said. “That gave me some opportunities to move around and find some space, and luckily they fed me in there and I finished.”

Gramins’ first goal pushed the Dragons’ lead to 8-4, but Cheverus responded with a combination of patient offensive sets and opportunism after grabbing ground balls near the cage. Alexander Nason scored once, and Hatch and Jesse Pierce scored twice in the second half for Cheverus.


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