PORTLAND—So much for Cheverus’ girls’ hockey team’s offense being just Lucy Johnson and Caroline Rousseau.

Thursday evening at Troubh Ice Arena, the Stags demonstrated that they can go deeper than their two stars with a balanced and dominant performance against the visiting Gorham co-op squad in a midseason battle.

A performance that suggests more glory might be in store down the line for the two-time defending state champions.

The teams tied 3-3 earlier this season, but this time around, it was all Cheverus and Gorham, which also features players from Bonny Eagle, Fryeburg Academy and Westbrook, wasn’t able to respond.

Freshman Taylor Lucas got the party started with a goal six minutes in and by the end of the first period, Rousseau, a sophomore, and junior Joey Pompeo added goals to make it 3-0.

The Stags ended all doubt in the second period, as freshman Anna Bowie and Johnson, the senior standout, found the net.

Rousseau and Johnson added a goal apiece in the third period and Cheverus waltzed to a 7-0 victory.

The Stags improved to 8-1-1 with their fifth straight win and in the process, dropped Gorham to 4-4-1.

“We got probably our best effort of the year tonight,” said Cheverus coach Scott Rousseau. “Our wingers and younger players have turned the corner. We’ve had two months of development and I’m very pleased.”

Same old Stags

After rolling to its second straight state title a year ago, Cheverus was considered by many to be mortal this winter, but it has shown that it’s still the team to beat until someone knocks it off in the playoffs.

Cheverus, which also features players this winter from Windham and Medomak Valley, started with home wins over York (9-1) and Falmouth (5-1), then settled for a 3-3 tie at Gorham. After a 9-1 victory over the Cape Elizabeth/Deering/Portland/South Portland/Waynflete Beacons co-op team, the Stags lost the rematch to the Beacons, 3-2, before edging host Brunswick (4-3) and downing host Falmouth/Scarborough (6-2) and Yarmouth/Freeport in a state game rematch (1-0). Last Saturday, Cheverus finished the 2024 portion of its schedule with a 4-0 home victory over St. Dom’s.

Gorham, meanwhile, beat York in its opener (2-0) and after a 3-3 tie against visiting Cheverus, lost in overtime at Falmouth/Scarborough (3-2) and by a goal to visiting Biddeford (2-1). The squad then beat visiting Penobscot (5-1) before suffering a 5-3 loss at the Beacons. After downing visiting Winslow (6-2), Gorham enjoyed a 5-1 home win over St. Dom’s Monday.

Last year, Cheverus won all three meetings, 7-0 on the road, 3-0 at home and 6-2 in the South Region Final.

Thursday, the Stags kept the good times rolling.

Cheverus sophomore Caroline Rousseau skates through the Gorham defense. Rousseau scored twice in the Stags’ 7-0 win. Photos courtesy Kneka Smith.

It took just 4 minutes, 28 seconds for Cheverus to go in front to stay. The goal would be scored by Lucas, one of the team’s promising newcomers, who finished from Caroline Rousseau and junior Ashley Cloutier.

“At the beginning, I put too much pressure on myself to score, but I have more faith in my wings, knowing they’re skating well and are more confident,” Caroline Rousseau said. “I’ve always been a more natural puck-mover rather than shooter and scorer. It’s been an easier adjustment for me to play center instead of wing. I have a little more control over the puck. I can skate with it more and set my teammates up. After getting to know the position, it’s gotten a lot easier.”

Rousseau got in the goal-scoring column at 7:36, finishing from Lucas on a rush.

“We were disappointed in that tie,” said Caroline Rousseau. “We knew we had more in the tank and we wanted to come out strong. It was great to come out strong and want to win more than they did.”

At 9:47, Pompeo got in on the fun, rebounding home a Johnson shot to make the score 3-0.

Gorham’s best chance came on a breakaway from junior Isabel Brito, but Stags junior goalie Ellie Skolnekovich made the save.

The second period was more of the same.

Cheverus senior Lucy Johnson and Gorham freshman Lia Collins jostle for position as they keep an eye on the puck.

Johnson was flustered early by Gorham freshman goalie Claire Farrenkopf, but after going on the power play, the Stags made it 4-0 at 3:03, as Bowie scored, just as the penalty expired. Junior Briella Doherty and freshman Jaylee Radford were credited with assists.

“Look at the 12 players we played, eight of them are freshmen or first-year full-time varsity players,” said Scott Rousseau. “It takes time and we’re starting to see younger players playing with more confidence, wanting to be active in the offense, wanting the puck on their sticks. I think the younger players watched Caroline and Lucy and now they’re playing with them and the result was a great hockey game tonight.”

Johnson then got off the schneid at 6:29, taking a pass from Cloutier and ripping a shot off the underside of the crossbar and in to extend the lead further.

After Skolnekovich robbed sophomore Azalea Grant in the waning moments, Cheverus took a 5-0 lead to the second intermission.

The Stags then tacked on two more goals in the third period.

At 2:16, Caroline Rousseau finished out of a scrum in front.

Then, at 9:14, Doherty set up Johnson for her second goal and that accounted for all the scoring in the 7-0 victory.

Cheverus celebrates one of its seven goals in its victory.

“We tied them last time, so to beat them, 7-0, it’s a great improvement and it’s all because of practice,” Caroline Rousseau said. “We’ve had good practices. Everyone brings the compete, even the freshmen. Everyone gives 100 percent at practice and it makes us all better.”

“We’ve come through against top teams,” said Scott Rousseau. “The other teams are really good and everyone gives us their best effort. We’re getting good goaltending. Ellie struggled at the start of the year, but she is finding her form. We might not have a star on defense, we have four really good ones who complement each other well. Our defense did a good job moving the puck up quickly tonight. We might have had one turnover. We’ve always been difficult to play against and we can make the other team go 200 feet through five players.”

Cheverus finished with a 28-6 shots advantage and got six saves from Skonekovich.

Farrenkopf made 21 saves for Gorham.

Eye on the prize

Gorham returns home Saturday to face York.

Cheverus is back in action next Wednesday when it travels to Penobscot. A home game versus Biddeford follows three days later.

“We get everyone’s best game and I take that as a compliment,” Caroline Rousseau said. “Everyone circles us on our calendar and I love playing tough games. The hard games make us better. We want to be our best for playoffs. We’ll get better every single day. We have a great goaltender, four really top defenders and Lucy Johnson is one of a kind, so I really think we have what it takes.”

“If you’re trying to win in December, you’re going to lose in February,” said Scott Rousseau. “I just worry about us getting better and playing good hockey. We’re trying to keep becoming the best version of ourselves. I don’t look beyond what we’re doing next. We’re only worried about practice tomorrow, but with each game that passes, we’ve passed the tests. I’m pleasantly surprised. We have a tough stretch coming, but it’s a great group. I’m ecstatic.”

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