BIDDEFORD — Cece Keller had a great afternoon. The evening didn’t go too badly for her, either.
Keller converted a penalty stroke with 9:37 to play, and it was the only goal Biddeford needed Wednesday in a 1-0 victory over Scarborough in a matchup of unbeaten field hockey teams.
The Tigers improved to 7-0. The Red Storm fell to 5-1.
“We came into the game knowing this was going to be a very good game, very even, very close,” Keller said. “We (had) to work really hard. I think every girl on our team worked their butts off.”
Keller verbally committed to Franklin Pierce University three hours before the game. She soon had another reason to celebrate.
“I am having quite a day,” she said.
Nothing came easy for either side. Biddeford had outscored opponents 26-0, while Scarborough had a 25-2 scoring edge entering Wednesday’s game, which was a hard-fought midfield battle, with chances at a premium and possession up for grabs. Kiki Jackson and Ayla Lagasse were always around the ball for Biddeford. Ayden Harris, Caroline Hartley and Anjali Bhatnagar were just as impactful for Scarborough.
“Every time you play Scarborough, if you look at their scores from over the last 10 years … they keep you under two (goals) for the most part,” Tigers Coach Caitlin Tremberth said. “They play such a good defensive game, and you know that if you’re going to play Scarborough and you want to try to win, you’re going to (have to) win with one or two goals.”
The game began to open up in the third quarter. At Biddeford’s offensive end, Red Storm goalie Jamila Mohamed denied Jackson on a corner, and a diving Kayla Magnant just missed tipping a ball into the cage. Meanwhile, Tigers goalie Cadence Goulet stopped Daisy Stone on a shot from the doorstep.
In the fourth, Biddeford was awarded its third corner and inserted to Jackson. Her shot deflected to Keller, who attempted a shot that officials ruled was on target but hit off the body of a defender. That meant a penalty stroke, and the task went to Keller, who rapped a shot inside the left post.
“I’ve worked very hard on those strokes, and there (have been) a lot of practices where I have missed the net,” she said. “I’m thinking ‘Don’t miss the net, don’t miss the net.'”
Scarborough Coach Kerry Mariello argued the call to no avail.
“It’s unfortunate,” she said. “(There were) few opportunities, and they got a break. Unfortunately, we didn’t get that break.”
Scarborough couldn’t muster a promising chance in the closing minutes, as Biddeford’s midfield clamped down. Tremberth called a timeout with 4:47 left to ensure the Tigers had the energy to close it out.
“Who knows what next game will bring. It’s regular season,” Mariello said. “We’re competitive, we’ve got some work to do. Other than that, it doesn’t mean a whole lot. An ego bruise is all.”
Tremberth likewise acknowledged that another meeting could be in store.
“I think that same thing sometimes,” she said. “We always find a way to play them in the postseason. … It’s good field hockey. It’s fun, it’s why we come out here and practice. We want to play a good field hockey game. These are the games that they’ll remember.”
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