CAPE ELIZABETH—On most teams, when your top player is held scoreless, your odds of victory are slim.

Of course, Cape Elizabeth boys’ lacrosse isn’t just any team, it’s the state’s premier power and while senior standout Keegan Lathrop didn’t finish with a single goal Saturday afternoon at Hannaford Field against visiting Thornton Academy in a battle of unbeatens, the Capers still managed to win by seven goals.

Because their enviable scoring balance and ability to do the little things better than anyone else sets them apart.

Year after year after year.

The Golden Trojans came out confident and seized a quick 4-1 lead before Cape Elizabeth answered late in the first period.

Thornton Academy still led, 5-3, nearing the midway point of the first half, but the Capers flipped the switch, scored five straight goals and went in front for good on a goal from senior Bobby Offit with 3:10 remaining before halftime.

The Golden Trojans tried to answer in the third quarter, but senior Alex van Huystee scored three times and the lead was 12-8 heading for the final stanza.

There, Cape Elizabeth ended any remaining doubt, pulling away for a 16-9 victory.

The Capers were paced by van Huystee, who continued his recent brilliance with five goals and five assists, six different players found the net and the end result is a 9-0 record, a 32-game win streak dating back to 2022 and the first setback in eight outings for Thornton Academy this spring.

“Offensively, we’re at our best when we take what they give us,” said longtime Cape Elizabeth coach Ben Raymond, after his 338th career victory. “We didn’t force the ball to Keegan. For the most part today, we played pretty well. It was a fairly consistent effort. Once we got going at the end of the first quarter, we were solid the rest of the way.”

Measuring stick

While Cape Elizabeth has, deservingly, gotten a ton of attention so far this season, Thornton Academy has quietly put together a fabulous campaign as well.

After beating Deering in the opener (16-6), the Golden Trojans defeated Gorham (24-3), Kennebunk (19-5), Brunswick (16-3), Scarborough (9-6), Windham (19-4) and Noble (20-6).

The Capers opened by handling visiting South Portland in a state game rematch, 17-4, then defeated visiting Scarborough (12-3) before getting pushed by visiting York, the reigning Class B champion, only to hold on, 11-10, then edging host Falmouth (7-6) before winning at Messalonskee, 13-7. Cape Elizabeth then rallied from three-goals down to beat host Yarmouth (13-12) before handling visiting Gorham (17-4) and host Windham (16-5).

Last year, the Capers beat Thornton Academy three times, 7-4 in Saco and 13-7 at home during the regular season, then 15-8 in the Class A state semifinals.

Saturday, under sunny skies, on a comfortable 52-degree afternoon, the Golden Trojans hoped to snap a four-game skid in the series, but instead, Cape Elizabeth overcame a sluggish start, then put it all together en route to another impressive victory.

Thornton Academy came out firing, but Capers senior goalie Michael Foley stopped an initial bid from sophomore Will Edborg.

After senior Tom Hennessey and Lathrop were both wide with shots, the Golden Trojans got the jump with 9:30 left in the opening stanza, as sophomore Benjamin White found senior Jake Marcotte on the doorstep and Marcotte finished.

Foley then saved bids from junior Brady Pecora and senior Bo Preston to keep the deficit at one.

After senior Sam Cochran missed high and Lathrop missed wide with a behind the back shot, Thornton Academy sophomore goalie Colin Pennell denied junior Aidan Connolly, but with 4:52 to go in the first, van Huystee set up Offit for the tying tally.

Pennell then robbed van Huystee and at the other end, with 3:51 left, senior Noah Veroneau scored an unassisted goal to put the Golden Trojans back in front.

The visitors then went man-up for two minutes and after Foley saved a shot from Marcotte and junior Jack DeLeo shot high, DeLeo set up Veroneau for a 3-1 lead with 1:39 remaining.

Thirty-eight seconds later, DeLeo scored unassisted and Thornton Academy’s confidence was soaring.

But momentum began to turn when Cochran fought through the defense and finished unassisted with 39.2 seconds on the clock and the Capers were back within two, 4-2, heading to the second period.

A quarter they would ultimately win, 6-1, to open up a lead.

Early on, van Huystee ripped a shot off the crossbar and at the other end, Foley denied Veroneau, but with 8:09 left, van Huystee scored unassisted to cut the deficit to just one.

The Golden Trojans answered man-up, as Edborg found DeLeo for a goal with 7:27 on the clock, but 24 seconds later, Connolly set up van Huystee for an easy shot on the doorstep and after Foley robbed Preston, Cape Elizabeth tied the score, as van Huystee found a wide open Cochran in front to make it 5-5 with 5:14 left.

The Capers then had several looks at a go-ahead goal, but Lathrop was just wide off the ensuing faceoff, Lathrop bounced a shot high, then Connolly and Hennessey each were off target.

Finally, with 3:10 remaining before halftime, van Huystee got the ball in front to Offit and Offit finished to put the home team in front to stay.

A mere 29 seconds later, after a faceoff win by senior Will Picarillo, Cape Elizabeth doubled its lead, as Cochran rocketed a shot into the upper portion of the net.

The Golden Trojans hoped to answer, but Foley robbed Veroneau and at the other end, Connolly fired the ball past the defense and beat Pennell to make it 8-5 with 1:10 to go, a lead the Capers would take to the half.

“We did a better job on the faceoffs in the second quarter,” Raymond said. “Will did an excellent job and our wings got in there and helped out. Michael made some saves to keep the run going and the defense played pretty well for the most part. They haven’t had the same schedule we’ve had, so it’s got to be hard to adjust. They did a great job in the first quarter being ready for the pace we’re playing at and we had to adjust a little bit.”

The game remained tight in the third quarter, as Thornton Academy tried to creep closer, but couldn’t do so.

Foley started the second half by denying a DeLeo shot.

Cape Elizabeth then went up by four with 10:25 on the third period clock, as van Huystee scored unassisted.

The Golden Trojans answered man-up with 8 minutes to go, as DeLeo finished after a nice dodge.

The goal snapped a 6-0 Capers’ run and an 11 minute, 33 second scoring drought, but the visitors couldn’t build on it.

DeLeo had a shot to make the game closer, but Foley made the save.

Then, with 5:26 left in the frame, van Huystee found Offit again to make it 10-6.

Senior Cody Southwick won the ensuing faceoff for Thornton Academy and 12 seconds later, Edborg set up Marcotte to make it a three-goal game again, but 20 seconds after that, Lathrop found van Huystee to make it 11-7.

The Golden Trojans crept within three again, as Marcotte scored unassisted after a crease roll with 2:19 on the clock, but 49 seconds later, Lathrop set up van Huystee for yet another goal and a 12-8 advantage.

Just before the quarter expired, Cochran went down with a leg injury and wouldn’t return.

His teammates were able to finish it off for him, however.

After the Capers were penalized for being offsides, Thornton Academy cut the deficit to three for the final time, as DeLeo set up Marcotte for a man-up goal with 10:43 to play, but Picarillo won possession and 24 seconds later, Lathrop found Offit to make it 13-9.

Cape Elizabeth then gradually put the finishing touches on its victory.

With 8:43 left, Connolly got a step on a defender, rolled the crease and finished.

“From the beginning of the year, there are certain skills I’ve gotten better at,” said Connolly. “It’s just a confidence thing at the end of the day. If I don’t get in my head when I make bad plays, it lets me perform at the level I can. I’ve been looking forward to these competitive games. Falmouth was a competitive game, but I enjoyed this game more than any other because I performed my best.”

Thirty-two seconds later, van Huystee set up senior Aidan Mannsmann for another goal.

Then, with 7:24 showing, Lathrop found Hennessey for the final goal of the contest.

Down the stretch, senior James York, who had come on to replace Foley with the win locked up, made some impressive saves, denying Edborg, Veroneau and Marcotte, slamming the door on a 16-9 victory.

“There’s nothing like these big games, the energy, the crowd, it was a blast,” Connolly said. “We’ve had more competition than TA did this year and I think we were more prepared. We all have the mindset to just relax. We just focus on the little things and not on the score. It’s important for us as a team that the score doesn’t matter if we get down a couple goals. We’re really good at responding when we’re down a goal or two. Once we get going, we put the ball in the net and I don’t think any defense can stop us when we’re playing 100 percent.”

The Capers did a great job spreading the wealth, as six players scored and 10 of the 16 goals were assisted.

The top scorer was van Huystee, who had five goals and five assists.

“We have so many guys who can put the ball in the net and Alex is one of those guys,” Connolly said. “He’s really surprised me the level he’s playing at.”

Offit finished with four goals, Cochran had three, Connolly two and Hennessey and Mannsmann one apiece.

“We shared the ball really well,” said Raymond. “Alex did a great job. Aidan played really well today. All the guys who go out there are capable of scoring. (Thornton Academy) played man-to-man (defense) today and we spent the week practicing for zone. We had a great three days of practice of what we were going to do against zone and we didn’t see it at all, but that’s fine, we know what we can do against man.”

Lathrop, who was defended superbly by Thornton Academy sophomore Grady Hersey, didn’t have his best game shooting the ball, but he did assist on four goals.

“Teams work really hard to try to make things hard for Keegan,” Raymond said. “They did a great job on him today, but he still managed to create some things and get some assists.”

Connolly also had an assist.

Foley made 10 saves and York stopped three shots in his short relief stint.

Lathrop and senior Colin Blackburn shared team honors with five ground balls apiece.

Cape Elizabeth finished with a 43-27 shots advantage (shots on cage were even, 22-22) and overcame 17 turnovers.

The Golden Trojans were led by Marcotte, who had four goals. DeLeo added three goals and two assists, Veroneau scored twice, Edborg had two assists and White also set up a goal.

Pennell and junior Drew Maxcy, who came into the game in the fourth quarter, each made three saves.

Thornton Academy had a 14-13 edge in faceoffs and a 34-29 advantage on ground balls (Southwick had a game-high seven), but turned the ball over 20 times and gave up far too many open looks on defense.

“We’ve bought into playing man-to-man and we’ve been telling them that a second slide is needed,” said Golden Trojans coach Ryan Hersey. “With our schedule, teams haven’t made us pay more than a goal or two here and there, but not the way we knew Cape would make us pay if we didn’t slide a second time. It’s very easy. If we’re willing to do it, we’d give up half as many goals.”

Closing stretch

The teams will meet again May 21 in Saco, but each has tough games to navigate in the interim.

Thornton Academy, which is currently ranked third in the Class A Heal Points standings, has two more road tests upcoming, at South Portland Wednesday, then at York next Saturday.

“We see (Cape) again in a week-and-a-half and it will be a good measuring stick to see if we can correct the simple things,” Ryan Hersey said. “We take away that we can play with them. We came out and played very well, but the little things matter. We have to be more aggressive on ground balls and communicate on defense. Simple, fundamental stuff. Cape is a lacrosse town and they have kids who have played a lot more than the three months a lot of these kids do.”

Cape Elizabeth, ranked first in Class A, will be tested again Wednesday, when rival Falmouth pays a visit. The Capers also host Marshwood Friday.

“There are a bunch of little things we still need to work on,” said Connolly. “We did solid in faceoffs at some points, but it was inconsistent. Ground balls are the big thing for us. I’m looking forward to Wednesday. One-hundred percent.”

“(Falmouth) will be a different game than last time,” Raymond said. “Last time, it was 30 degrees and the wind was blowing 200 miles per hour. It wasn’t a great night. I would expect both teams to play better.

“We don’t usually talk a lot about seeding, but we’re first right now and if we can hold that, it’s a huge difference between 1 and 2 because 1 will play the 4 seed, which won’t be Falmouth or TA, and if they play each other, it’s better for us. The emphasis is on holding that spot. We talk a lot about not necessarily focusing on winning every single game but just playing our best.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.