KENNEBUNK—Yarmouth’s girls’ lacrosse team has made nice strides this spring, but the Clippers still have a ways to go to reach the level of the gold standard.
The Kennebunk Rams.
Friday afternoon, host Kennebunk, the two-time defending Class A state champion, became the first team in Maine history to win 37 straight games.
And the Rams are nowhere near finished.
Yarmouth played a strong first half, but found itself down, 6-2, as Kennebunk’s defense prevented many good looks and Rams senior standout Ruby Sliwkowski, along with junior Ivy Armentrout and freshman Camdyn Keenan scored two goals apiece.
Sliwkowski then scored 19 seconds into the second half and Kennebunk would pull away and go on to a 15-5 victory.
Sliwkowski led the way with five goals and six assists, Armentrout scored four times and the Rams improved to 5-0, handed the Clippers their first loss in four outings while eclipsing Waynflete and Brunswick’s jointly held mark of 36 straight victories, set over a decade ago.
“The girls have done it,” said longtime Kennebunk coach Annie Barker. “We’ve all worked together, everybody’s contributed and the kids give us something every day. They’re willing to work hard and it shows.”
No peer
From May 22, 2004 through June 14, 2006, Waynflete won 36 consecutive games. Five of those victories came over Kennebunk, as the Flyers edged the Rams in an overtime thriller in the 2004 West Region Final (8-7), beat them in the regular season in 2005 (14-3), again in the regional final (11-6), then again in the 2006 regular season (13-5) and regional final (14-8). Waynflete’s streak ended with a 12-5 loss to Yarmouth in the inaugural Class B state game in 2006 and the Clippers went on to capture 29 straight games before their streak was snapped by Kennebunk in the second game of the 2008 regular season.
Then, from April 23, 2008 through May 12, 2010, Brunswick (playing a KVAC-exclusive regular season schedule) matched Waynflete with 36 straight wins. The Dragons beat Kennebunk in both the 2008 Class A state final (15-11) and again in the 2009 state game (13-9) and finally met their match midway through the 2010 regular season when they lost at home to Falmouth, 12-11.
Kennebunk was once known as a perennial contender that couldn’t win the big game, dropping close state games to Yarmouth in 2002, 2007 and 2015 and to Brunswick in 2008 and 2009, as well as agonizing regional tournament games to Cape Elizabeth, Greely, Massabesic, Scarborough and Waynflete.
That all finally changed in 2016, when the Rams beat Yarmouth in the Class B state final. Kennebunk upset the Clippers the next year to repeat, then rolled to undefeated championships in Class A in 2021 and 2022 to boast a 32-game win streak entering the 2023 campaign.
Kennebunk opened with a 14-0 victory at Messalonskee, beat visiting Greely (14-4), won at home over Gorham, 15-4 and Thursday dominated host Falmouth, 12-1.
Yarmouth got to the Class A state game last year in its first year at that level, only to lose to Kennebunk, 11-8.
The new-look Clippers, with just two seniors on the roster, have picked right up where they left off, rolling at Windham in the opener, 16-6, then handling visiting Massabesic (14-1) and Cape Elizabeth (14-3).
Friday, with the sun finally shining and with the game-time temperature reading 59 degrees, Yarmouth looked to beat the Rams for the first time since May 3, 2019 (7-6 in Kennebunk), but instead, the Rams made it four straight in the series and more importantly, set a new benchmark in the process.
Yarmouth senior Sara Wentzell is hounded by Kennebunk senior Grace Archer early in the Rams’ 15-5 victory Friday. Hoffer photos.
The Clippers, despite their inexperience, came into the game confident and junior Lauren Keaney won the opening draw. Sophomore Bryn Cain then took the game’s first shot, but missed wide.
Kennebunk then went on the attack and after Sliwkowski had an initial shot saved by Yarmouth junior goalie Regan Sullivan, she intercepted the clearing pass, raced through the defense, then found the net to put the Rams ahead to stay with 21:28 on the first half clock.
Seventy-five seconds later, Sliwkowski set up Keenan for her first goal and a 2-0 advantage.
The Clippers didn’t buckle, as after Sullivan robbed Sliwkowski, Keaney made a nice catch on a pass from junior Aine Powers, then bounced a shot past Kennebunk’s fine senior goalie Lizzy Hayes to cut the deficit in half.
Yarmouth couldn’t build on the momentum, however, as junior Ella Highbarger won the ensuing draw to Armentrout, who ran in and finished unassisted to restore a two-goal lead.
Sliwkowski nearly did the same thing on the next draw, but Sullivan stopped her cold.
With 12:45 to go before halftime, the Clippers pulled within one again, as junior Neena Panozzo converted a free position.
Again, Yarmouth didn’t have a chance to draw even, as Highbarger won the draw and 28 seconds later, Keenan got to a loose ball and fired it past Sullivan to make it 4-2.
After Hayes saved a free position shot from Cain, Sliwkowski set up Armentrout for a goal with 9:46 left in the half and after Hayes denied Powers on a free position, Sliwkowski scored on a free position with 2:43 remaining.
Hayes made one more clutch save, robbing Keaney on a free position as time wound down, and the Rams took a 6-2 lead to halftime.
First half statistics were pretty even, but Hayes’ four saves, combined with terrific defensive play from senior captain Matilda Bordas and juniors Miranda Godek and Calia Keenan, allowed Kennebunk to enjoy some breathing room.
Yarmouth junior Brooke Boone races up the field as Kennebunk junior Mara Muse (19) and freshman Camdyn Keenan defend.
The Rams then gradually pulled away in the second half to complete their date with destiny.
Yarmouth won the opening draw, but turned the ball over and Sliwkowski pounced, scooping up the loose ball, racing in and finishing just 19 seconds in.
It took just 47 seconds for Kennebunk to make it 8-2, as Sliwkowski found junior Mara Muse for a goal.
“We talked at halftime about taking better shots and being patient,” Barker said.
After Keenan hit the post, Sullivan denied Sliwkowski on a free position, but after Hayes saved a shot from junior Brooke Boone at the other end, in transition, Sliwkowski fed Armentrout for a score with 19:24 to go.
Again, the Rams struck quickly off the ensuing draw and 33 seconds later, Sliwkowski fed Highbarger in front and while Highbarger was being knocked down, she managed to shoot past Sullivan for a 10-2 advantage.
With 18:31 remaining, the Clippers snapped a 19 minute, 14 second scoring drought and Kennebunk’s 7-0 run when Powers fed Keaney for a goal, but Kennebunk quickly countered, as Sliwkowski scored on a free position with 17:18 left.
With 14:54 to play, Sliwkowski scored unassisted and 66 seconds later, Keenan scored an unassisted goal to induce a mercy-rule running clock.
With 8:55 to go, Sliwkowski fed senior Grace Archer for a goal.
Powers found Panozzo, who answered, with 7:12 on the clock, but after Hayes robbed Powers, Muse fed Armentrout for the Rams’ final goal with 3:43 remaining.
Yarmouth would score one last time, as Keaney converted a free position just before the horn, but it was a moot point as Kennebunk was in the record books with a 15-5 victory.
It’s 37th in succession.
Kennebunk’s players and coaches show off the magic number in a postgame celebration.
“It feels so great,” said Sliwkowski. “This game was a little bigger. This was our 37th (win in a row) and it was also a state game rematch. We’d talked about it in practice on the down-low and we were ready to play. We went in with a 0-0 mentality and the outcome went in our favor.”
“Wearing Kennebunk on our chest, there’s always going to be a little bit of pressure,” said Bordas. “We know we have a target on our back, but at the end of the day, we’re one team and we love to play lacrosse. It’s crazy to think that no one on our roster has ever lost a varsity game.”
“This says a lot about our program,” Barker added. “We were always there, but we couldn’t finish. Once we finished the first one, it all came together. We’ve got it all together now.”
Sliwkowski continued to put up video game-type numbers, scoring five more goals (giving her 28 in five games this season and 165 in her 37-game career) and adding six assists (making it 73 for her career).
Armentrout added four goals, while Keenan dazzled with three.
“(Having a freshman score three goals) shows how deep our roster goes,” said Bordas. “Once we graduate, that will be the legacy of Kennebunk lacrosse.”
“Little Cammy is coming alive,” Barker said.
Archer and Muse (one assist) both scored once, as did Highbarger, who also won 11 of 21 draws and collected a team-high six ground balls.
“Ella had the game of her life today,” said Barker. “We have a lot of weapons, which is nice. The older kids are trusting the younger girls and bringing them along.”
Hayes made nine critical saves and again got a strong performance from her defensive mates.
“We have a great defensive coach,” Bordas said. “Coach (Joe) Bush taught us the ‘backer defense,’ which I personally think works really well for us. We have our core four low defensive returning this year, we know each other and how we play and I think it helps us in the end. Our backer this year goes between Pippy (junior Penelope Nadeau) and (freshman) Maddy Dowling.”
“When you have the best offense playing against the best defense every day in practice, the games seem easier,” Sliwkowski said.
“We knew (Yarmouth) would try to drive from the top and we practiced stopping it,” added Barker. “It paid off.”
The Rams had a 25-23 edge in ground balls, a 24-18 shots advantage (21-14 on cage) and only turned the ball over 11 times.
Kennebunk returns to action Tuesday of next week, at Marshwood.
“Now, we can go back to square one and add things in practice,” Barker said. “It’s been going so fast.”
It’s possible that the Rams have already navigated the most challenging portion of their regular season schedule and that their win streak will go on and on and on.
“This is still really early on our climb, so for us to execute like this now, we’ll be a completely different team in June and that’s what’s so exciting and that’s what’s keeping us going,” Sliwkowski said. “We’re not trying to achieve perfection, we’re trying to achieve excellence. To do that, it requires us to get one percent better every day in practice. We’re not done.”
“We’re striving to achieve excellence and we’re striving to be at (Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland for the state game) June 17th,” Bordas said. “We just have to keep looking ahead. We’ll work on the mistakes we made today in practice tomorrow. We just have to keep chugging along and having the next-play mentality always. We’re not done yet.”
Bigger things to come
Yarmouth got three goals from Keaney, two goals from Panozzo and three assists from Powers, who also had a game-high eight ground balls.
Sullivan made six saves.
The Clippers only turned the ball over 12 times.
“We’ve been working hard on the little things,” longtime Yarmouth coach Dorothy Holt said. “If you saw us a little while ago, we struggled throwing and catching, but we’re getting better and better. We’re switching players around and finding the right mix. We showed patience, but the minute we got nervous, that’s when we turned the ball over. When we stayed patient, we found the look.
“We played well against a really good team and know we can hang with them. We’d like to see them again. We moved to Class A to play against the best and we’re doing that. We’ve scored the most on them so far. They have some upperclassmen who are really strong and take charge. Today, they were a little grittier than us and played a little bit smarter.”
Yarmouth will seek to bounce back Monday when it hosts Waynflete. Next Wednesday, the Clippers have a showdown at reigning Class B champion Greely.
“We have a lot to work on, but this is a stepping stone,” Holt said. “I like our progress. We have a big week coming up. It doesn’t get easier.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.
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