For the first month of the girls’ hockey season, Cheverus/Kennebunk hadn’t faced a lot of adversity.

Cheverus won its first seven games by an average of six goals, including a 1-0 win over St. Dominic, the two-time defending state champion.

But after suffering their first loss of the season Monday to Portland/Deering, the Stags found themselves down two goals Wednesday after the first period against Cape Elizabeth/Waynflete/South Portland.

Cheverus responded with six unanswered goals for a 6-2 victory at the William B. Troubh Ice Arena.

“We definitely had a target on our backs, especially after beating St. Dom’s and snapping their 29-game winning streak,” said Cheverus’ top scorer, Abby Lamontagne. “Portland played a great game. We didn’t make talent mistakes, we made mental mistakes, so the six goals just shows a lot of character in our team.”

Portland – a team the Stags defeated 6-0 earlier in the season – edged Cheverus 4-3 in overtime while shutting out Lamontagne on Monday. But Lamontagne regained her rhythm Wednesday with two goals and an assist. Sophia Pompeo and Emma McCauley both contributed a goal and two assists.

“We had a tough loss on Monday and I think that kind of held with us a little bit, but the girls stayed patient,” Cheverus Coach Scott Rousseau said. “You don’t win the game in the first period. You win the game by wearing down opponents and creating scoring chance after scoring chance and, eventually, the odds paid off.”

Cheverus outshot Cape Elizabeth 41-8. Abby Joy made 35 saves for the Capers (4-4) and Anna Smith turned away eight shots for the Stags (8-1).

Cape Elizabeth scored both first-period goals off Cheverus breakdowns. Sophia Venditti put the Capers ahead just over seven minutes into the game, converting a Nicoletta Coupe cross. With 4:05 left, Venditti won a faceoff and got the puck to Coupe, who placed it in the bottom corner of the net.

Lucia Pompeo scored Cheverus’ first goal 5:42 into the second by capitalizing on a turnover. After a defender stopped Sophia Pompeo’s initial shot, Lucia Pompeo intercepted the defender’s pass and tried again – this time finding the back of the net.

Lamontagne tied it with 2:37 left in the second period on a Sophia Pompeo assist. With players blocking Joy’s vision, Joy leaned to her left to get a look at Lamontagne, who then out in a hard shot

With 10 seconds left in the period, Lamontagne scored the tiebreaker, assisted by Emma McCauley. Lamontagne put away her own rebound with a diving shot to give Cheverus a 3-2 lead heading into the final period.

The Stags cushioned their lead throughout the third, starting with a McCauley goal – assisted by Lamontagne and Sophia Pompeo – in the opening five minutes with a shot through traffic.

Sophia Pompeo scored from McCauley less than five minutes later and, with less than two minutes left, Abby Enck rounded out the scoring when her shot took a wild bounce off the stick of a defender and into the goal.

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