Lucy Johnson of Cheverus, right, battles for the ball with Massabesic’s Emily Desimone during the SMAA play day last week. Johnson, a sophomore forward, had had 28 goals and nine assists last fall in helping the Stags win their first state championship in field hockey. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

Day 1 of the preseason arrived, and the Cheverus High field hockey team was back to work. Early.

“We were up at 5:30 at our field,” said junior midfielder Lily Johnson. “We’ve been working hard, ever since finishing double sessions. … We’re definitely dialed in.”

Their coach has seen it as well.

Cheverus junior Lily Johnson: “We’re focusing on our first game against Thornton (on) Thursday. We’re not even thinking about (playoffs) right now.” Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

“Seeing the girls push themselves individually this year, and seeing how that’s pushed each other, that’s where we left off last year and they’re already starting there this year,” said Theresa Arsenault, Cheverus’ coach since 2019. “That was something really special to see, that the girls have kind of that internal motivation.”

That’s not thrilling news for the rest of Class A. The Stags were last seen rolling through a dominant 2021 season, compiling a 19-0 record capped by a 4-1 victory over perennial power Skowhegan in the state championship game. The numbers were staggering; Cheverus shut out 12 of its opponents, scored five or more goals 10 times, and outscored the competition 100-9.

That was last year. But here’s this year: Ten of 11 starters are back, with defender Norah Slattery being the lone player to graduate. It’s a group that includes first-team all-SMAA picks in Johnson, sophomore forward Lucy Johnson (Lily’s sister), senior forward Taylor Tory, as well as defensive standouts Elle Cooney and Madeline Fowler and goalie Logan LeFevre.

“The girls know what it takes, they know expectations,” said Arsenault, who was known as Theresa Hendrix before marrying in June. “Having that leadership and all these girls coming back, they’re really leading each other. It’s kind of easy for us coaches. … It’s a really special group. Sometimes I can’t find words to describe them.”

She found the words to describe the Stags’ situation, however. With so much continuity from such a formidable team, Cheverus is going into the season in a new position.

Olivia McCartney of Cheverus, left, chases down a loose ball while playing against Gorham in the SMAA play day last week. McCartney, a senior forward, is one of 10 returning starters from last year’s Class A state championship team. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

Last year, the Stags were the team to watch. This year, they’re the team to beat, a notion Arsenault discussed with them before a game at the SMAA play day last week.

“Coach was telling us about how we all have a (target) on our back, and how everyone wants to come for us,” said Tory, who scored 35 goals last season. “But we’re definitely not thinking about that. We’re playing it game by game.”

That’s the way it’s been at Cheverus. Everyone else can make their predictions and prognostications and pencil teams into November’s championship game. The Stags, however, are putting the blinders on.

“We’re focusing on our first game against Thornton (on) Thursday,” said Lily Johnson, who had 12 goals and 13 assists last year. “We’re not even thinking about (playoffs) right now. We’re not overlooking our whole season for a game like that.”

That’s not to say the players don’t know what people are saying. They hear the chatter and the hype.

“Our parents get more nervous than we do,” Tory said. “My mom tells me that all the time. We just try to stay in the moment and not think of it as pressure. It’s just going out there in the moment and having fun.”

Taylor Tory of Cheverus, right, defends Massabesic’s Ava Gerrish during the SMAA play day last week. “We just try to stay in the moment and not think of it as pressure,” Tory says of being the defending Class A champs. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

The players know why the expectations are so high. They see the talent on the field, particularly for an offense that also returns senior forward Olivia McCartney, who had two goals in the state championship win, and which gets a boost from the arrival of talented freshman Joey Pompeo, whose sisters Sophia and Lucia also played for the program.

“It’s very exciting. We know that if we just hit a shot in, there’s going to be a tip or a rebound, or someone’s going to be there for a chance to get that goal,” Tory said. “I think that’s very exciting for our team, and what makes our team so special.”

While so much of the talk is about what’s the same from last year, the players and their coach look at the subtle differences. The Stags were talented but untested last year, and this time, those shared experiences of a deep playoff run should help further prepare them.

“I definitely think there is pressure, but I feel like as a team we’re going to handle it well,” said Lucy Johnson, who had 28 goals and nine assists last fall. “We always have a meeting before the game and we calm ourselves down, and we get together as a team and make sure we’re all on the same page before we play a game.”

They haven’t been on the wrong page yet. The goal is to keep it that way – one game at a time, of course.

“The girls just know it’s a totally new year,” Arsenault said. “As a coach, it’s really nice that these girls have that mindset, and that they’re not still focused on last year.”