PORTLAND—While just about everyone else might be surprised at the resurgence of Portland’s girls’ lacrosse team this spring, the Bulldogs certainly aren’t.
Tuesday afternoon at Fitzpatrick Stadium, the Bulldogs wrote their most inspirational chapter of the 2023 season, rallying to edge city rival Cheverus in an unforgettable finish.
In a game which featured 10 ties and five lead changes, neither team could get much separation in a first half which ended 5-4 Stags, as their senior goalie, Elle Cooney, made nine clutch saves.
Portland then took four separate one-goal leads in the second half, but couldn’t hold any of them and after junior Taylor Krieger scored to pull Cheverus even on a free position with 3:13 to play, sophomore Sophia St. John’s goal with 1:30 remaining appeared put the Stags on the brink of victory.
But the valiant Bulldogs, playing at a numbers disadvantage at the end of the contest, refused to fold and senior Elizabeth Littell scored with 28 seconds on the clock, making it 11-11 and sending the game to overtime.
There, Portland senior goalie Eva Smith played the hero, robbing Cheverus sophomore Lucy Johnson point blank to extend the game.
Then, with just 29.2 seconds remaining in the first three-minute, “sudden victory” overtime session, senior Eliza Stein found the little space she needed and she scored her sixth goal of the day to give the Bulldogs a palpitating 12-11 victory.
Portland not only won its seventh game in a row, improved to 8-1 and dropped the Stags to 4-4 in the process, but the Bulldogs also completed a clean sweep of their city rivals this spring, having previously defeated Deering and Waynflete.
“We’re 3-0 against Portland teams this year,” said Stein. “No one really counted us in this year, but we’ve come out with a lot of fire. We’ve done it together. The second we played our first game, I knew we’d be a threat.”
Surging
Portland won just two games in 2022, but expected to be improved this spring and has more than lived up billing.
The Bulldogs gained confidence with an 8-7 win at Thornton Academy to start the year. After a 15-10 home loss to Windham, Portland then beat host Massabesic (9-7) and Bonny Eagle (8-4), downed visiting South Portland (12-3), then beat visiting longtime power Waynflete for the first time (7-6). After an 8-2 win at Lewiston, the Bulldogs beat host Deering in their last outing, 12-3, Friday.
Cheverus started with a high-scoring 18-15 home win over Marshwood before downing host Lake Region (17-2), visiting Deering (17-4) and host South Portland (16-2). After a 14-7 loss at Falmouth, the Stags lost in overtime at Gorham (11-10), then beat host Sanford (14-4) before falling at home to Windham, 12-7.
Last year, Cheverus dominated visiting Portland, 18-2, to take a 10-5 all-time advantage in the series (see sidebar, below).
Tuesday, on a cloudy but pleasant afternoon with the temperature hovering around 70 degrees, it was clear from the onset that there would be little separation between the rivals and that the contest would come down to the wire.
And then some.
Portland senior Elizabeth Littell is hounded by Cheverus junior Reese Belanger, left, junior Taylor Krieger and junior Ella Lemieux early in the Bulldogs’ 12-11 overtime victory Tuesday. Hoffer photos.
The Stags, riding the skills of Johnson and junior Reese Belanger, won nine of 10 first half draws, but committed too many turnovers to turn possession into a bigger lead.
Just 35 seconds in. Belanger opened the scoring, finishing a feed from St. John, but Smith kept the deficit at one by denying shots from junior Mackenzie Cash and Johnson.
At the other end, Cooney stymied the Bulldogs, saving a pair of shots from senior Emily Seavey and another from Stein.
Finally, with 16:20 left in the first half, Littell got Portland on the board, with senior Lauren Gerber getting the assist.
It took just 20 seconds for Cheverus to answer, as Krieger scored on a rebound after Smith saved a Cash shot, but with 13:27 to go, Stein scored in transition to tie the game again and with 11:33 showing, Stein beat Cooney through a screen to put the Bulldogs ahead for the first time, 3-2.
The Stags then scored twice in a 41-second span to retake the lead, as first Belanger converted a free position shot to tie it, then St. John scored on a free position with 9:53 remaining.
Cash then added to the lead with 5:27 to play in the half, with St. John getting the assist, but with 1:36 left, Stein got the ball from Seavey and sent it past Cooney and into the net to cut the deficit to 5-4 at the break.
The second half would be more of the same with even more dramatics.
Cheverus sophomore Lucy Johnson leaves Portland junior Gabriella Harrigan in her wake as senior Lilah Green slides over to defend.
With 23:07 remaining, Stein tied the score with an unassisted goal, her fourth.
A mere 24 seconds later, junior Gabriella Harrigan beat Cooney through a screen to put Portland on top, 6-5.
But with 22:12 to go, St. John was the beneficiary of a little good fortune, when the ball was knocked out of her stick in front of the goal, but it found the net regardless to tie it up.
After Seavey had a shot hit the post, the Bulldogs retook the lead when Stein’s shot went off a defender and in with 18:42 to play.
Out of a timeout, the Stags tied the score again with 16:47 left, as in transition, Cash found Belanger in front for a goal.
Cheverus then took its first lead since 5-4 when Johnson converted a free position shot with 15:43 on the clock, but 38 seconds later, a free position from Littell made the score 8-8.
After Smith robbed Johnson on a one-timer at one end, in transition, senior Gabriela Membreno fed Seavey for the go-ahead goal with 13:29 remaining.
With 11:34 left, the Stags pulled even again, as Krieger set up St. John to make it 9-9.
Portland then took the lead yet again, when sophomore Lucy Susen found Seavey for a goal with 6:15 to play, but the fun was just beginning.
After Gerber picked up her second yellow card of the game, ending her afternoon, Krieger’s free position shot with 3:13 to go tied the score at 10-10.
The Bulldogs then won the ensuing draw, but turned the ball over and seconds later, Harrigan was sent off with a yellow card, further compromising the hosts’ chances, as it was Portland’s fourth card of the day, meaning it would be a player short the rest of the way.
Smith held Cheverus at bay by denying Krieger with 2:02 to go, but with 1:30 remaining, sophomore Christina Lapoint set up St. John for a shot that Smith couldn’t stop and the Stags were on top, 11-10.
Johnson then won the draw to Belanger, but Cheverus couldn’t keep possession and Portland took advantage.
The Bulldogs got the ball up the field, then coach Beth Broderick called timeout with 31.6 seconds showing.
Littell, who had the ball before the break, then raced in as soon as the whistle blew and she fired a shot past Cooney with 28 seconds on the clock, tying the game for the 10th and final time, 11-11.
Portland nearly won the game as time wound down, as after Littell won the draw, Stein scooped up a loose ball in front and shot with 3 seconds left, but she missed just wide and it was on to overtime.
The Bulldogs might have had momentum going into OT, but the Stags got the all-important possession, as Johnson won the draw and Belanger scooped up the ball.
With 2:11 left in the extra session, Belanger’s bid to end it bounced wide and Portland got possession.
The Bulldogs quickly turned the ball over, however, and it nearly turned fatal, as Johnson got the ball on her stick, raced in one-on-one with Smith and shot.
But Smith was able to make the save.
With her foot.
“That didn’t feel good,” Smith said. “My toe definitely took that stop. You have to give up your body as a goalie.”
“That was certainly a fantastic save,” Broderick said. “I’ve never seen (Eva) play that well.”
This time, Portland was able to cross midfield and set up its attack and to no one’s surprise, the ball came to Stein, who found just enough room to roll right, get a good angle and at 6:43 p.m., with just 29.2 seconds on the clock, fired a shot that tickled the twine and gave the Bulldogs a scintillating 12-11 victory.
Portland senior Eliza Stein is mobbed by her teammates after ending the contest.
Portland’s bench erupts after the winning goal is scored.
“Gabby got me the ball, I saw some room and I just went with it,” said Stein. “When I see space, I just go. It was kind of a blur. It went in and I went crazy and my teammates were there.
“It feels like a team win, honestly, with all of us stepping up at the end. Getting the defensive stop, bringing the ball up, the goal was just the last piece. ”
“It was nervewracking,” Smith said. “I liked it because we didn’t lose, but I didn’t like it because it really does come down to me and the other goalie and that’s terrifying.”
“Eliza’s fantastic for us and we’re lucky to have her,” Broderick added. “It felt like there were a lot of things out of our control and we did a nice job staying focused on what we had control over. We were locked in.
“We took some hits last year and we’re proud of what we’ve learned and are able to put on the field this year. That’s really coming through. I’ve been coaching Portland for awhile now and I’m a big Portland fan, so I always come into the season believing in us and we’ve been putting some nice things together.”
Stein led all scorers with six goals. Littell added three, Seavey had two and Harrigan also found the net.
Gerber, Membreno, Seavey and Susan all had assists.
Smith made nine huge saves.
The Bulldogs finished with a 37-30 advantage in ground balls (Littell led the way with seven, while Stein collected six), out-shot the Stags, 28-22 (25-20 on cage) and overcame 19 turnovers.
A tough one
Cheverus did everything but get out of Fitzy with a victory, as St. John scored four times, Belanger added three goals, Krieger had two and Cash and Johnson added one apiece.
St. John also had a pair of assists, while Cash, Krieger and Lapoint added one each.
Cooney made 13 saves.
“Elle did phenomenal,” said Cheverus coach Sarah Varney. “She made some great saves.”
Belanger had a team-high seven ground balls, while Johnson and Krieger both scooped up a half-dozen.
The Stags won 14 of 25 draws and turned the ball over 25 times.
“We had our opportunities,” said Varney. “I’m really proud of our team. When we were down, we were able to come back and we were able to take the lead at different points in the game. We had sparks of greatness on the field. It was beautiful lacrosse. Portland played amazing too. It’s the way you want to see games. I want all Maine lacrosse games to be like this.
“I would love a second chance (at Portland).”
Chasing the favorites
Cheverus goes home to face Westbrook Friday and welcomes Yarmouth in a playoff rematch Monday.
“I think we’re going to peak at the right time,” said Varney. “We’re sorting through challenges during the regular season to prepare for playoffs. We have such an athletic team. I love coaching these girls. They have heart.”
Portland welcomes Scarborough Friday, then its schedule gets much tougher with games at Marshwood and Kennebunk next week.
“This shows us what we can do,” Smith said. “We already believe in each other and this gives us even more belief.”
“We’re excited about what we’re putting together,” Broderick said. “We have some big games to come to get through, but we’re thrilled for the opportunities. We have to keep working hard and building our bench.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.
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