Portland: Playoffs underway in field hockey, soccer and volleyball

The postseason has come and gone in volleyball, is about to begin in football and is about to heat up in field hockey and boys’ and girls’ soccer.

The drama is heating up and there’s a lot to keep track of.

Here’s an overview:

Field hockey

After scoring 40 goals during the regular season, sophomore standout Lucy Johnson hopes to lead Cheverus’ field hockey team to a repeat Class A state championship. File photo

Cheverus’ field hockey team, the reigning Class A state champion, has worn the bulls-eye all year and has worn it well. Now, the Stags find themselves four wins from a repeat title.

Last Monday, Cheverus culminated a 14-0 regular season with a 10-1 home win over South Portland/Westbrook. Taylor Tory scored four goals, Lucy Johnson added a pair (giving her a program-record 40 for the season) and Jadyn Carrigan, Olivia McCartney, Sophia St. John and Zoey Radford each finished with one.

The Stags, who outscored the opposition by an otherworldly margin of 118 goals to 5 in the regular season, is the top seed for the Class A South tournament for the second straight season and hosts No. 8 Falmouth (8-6-1) in the quarterfinals Wednesday at 3 p.m. On Sept. 13, Cheverus dominated the host Navigators, 9-0. The Stags won the only prior playoff meeting versus Falmouth, 7-0, in last year’s semifinals.

If Cheverus moves on to Saturday’s semifinal round, it will host either No. 4 Noble (10-4) or No. 5 Thornton Academy (9-5). The Stags beat the visiting Knights, 7-1, on Oct. 11 and blanked the visiting Golden Trojans, 8-0, in the regular season opener Sept. 1.

Looking ahead, the Class A South Final is Wednesday of next week in Biddeford.

The Class A state game is Saturday, Nov. 5, at Messalonskee High School in Oakland.

Portland/Deering finished the season 0-14 after falling in last week’s finale, 4-1, at Kennebunk. The end of the season brought about the end of the Beth Arsenault’s long (23-year) tenure as coach.

Boys’ soccer

Deering’s Peter Sargent shields the ball from a Scarborough defender during last week’s 3-1 Rams’ win. Shawn Patrick Ouellette / Portland Press Herald

Deering’s boys’ soccer team closed the regular season on a high note last Tuesday, shocking previously undefeated Scarborough, 3-1, on the Red Storm’s home turf. Scarborough struck early, but the Rams pulled even on a penalty kick goal from Adilson Vidal, who was stopped on the initial shot, but buried the rebound. After Patricio Mowa gave Deering the lead late in the first half on a blast from midfield, Carlos Adriano-Muaco scored the insurance goal in the second half.

“We came in with the mentality that although they had an undefeated record, we could match up with them,” Vidal said. “We know we’re a great team with a bunch of good players all over the field. We just worked together and that’s how we got the win. We didn’t give up and stayed disciplined to Coach (Joel Costigan’s) game plan.”

We had an excellent practice yesterday and we executed amazingly today,” Costigan said. “Everyone had a positive attitude. I didn’t even touch them during warmups. They motivated themselves. They were focused. That falls to the leadership on the team. Our captains did a great job keeping guys ready to go and focused and keeping their heads in the game. We had a game plan and we stuck with it. We talked about changes at the half, but we decided to keep what’s working and perfect the things we need to perfect.”

Deering wound up 10-2-2 and second in Class A South and will host a quarterfinal round contest Wednesday (more on that in a moment).

Portland finished seventh in Class A South after closing the regular season with a 5-1 home victory over Thornton Academy last Tuesday. Martin Kalala had two goals, while Ollie Hettenbach, Francisco Samuel and Brady Toher added one apiece. The Bulldogs then easily advanced Saturday at home versus No. 10 Westbrook in the preliminary round, prevailing, 6-0, as Hettenbach scored three goals, while Samuel, Toher and Max Kierstead also tickled the twine.

“We knew for a lot of us, this could have been our last-ever game at Fitzy, so it meant a lot to us to go out there and have a good performance,” Hettenbach said.

“It was a really, really good team effort today,” longtime Portland coach Rocco Frenzilli said. “I’m so pleased for the players and their hard work. The postseason is fun. Obviously, you want to come out on the right end of it, but all the teams earned being here. Westbrook deserves kudos for making it and the ball just rolled right for us today. It was great to have a chance for all the players to play and enjoy the atmosphere.”

The Bulldogs (10-5) will next square off with crosstown rival Deering Wednesday at 5 p.m., at Memorial Field. The teams did not play during the regular season and have split two prior playoff encounters.

All parties involved expect a memorable showdown.

“Class A is unpredictable,” said Vidal. “We need to work hard in practice, stay disciplined and have the confidence to know no matter who we’re playing, we can beat.”

“Deering’s a great team,” Hettenbach said. “We just need to focus on ourselves and play how we can play and play for each other. Anyone can beat anyone. I’m excited for it.”

“We’re happy where we are and now we get a chance to go across town,” Frenzilli said. “We’re looking forward to it. We’re playing with house money. We’ll go over there and give them what we’ve got. They have some great players, but you know what? So do we. We’ll respect them and play our game and we’ll have some postseason fun.”

The Deering-Portland winner will move on to Saturday’s semifinal round and will play either No. 3 Marshwood, the reigning state champion (10-4) or No. 6 Windham (11-4).

The regional final is Tuesday of next week in Sanford. The Class A state final is Saturday, Nov. 5 at Deering.

Cheverus, ranked 12th in Class A South, lost at No. 5 South Portland, 3-2, in Saturday’s preliminary round to end up 5-7-3. The Stags got goals from Collin Plalum and Carter Hoglund, but fell just short.

“Our Achilles’ heel all year has been a lack of urgency early in games,” lamented Stags coach Bill LeBlanc. “We’ve gotten down in games and have been able to come back, but they got I think three shots in the first half and all three went in. We gave a great effort, but we don’t have a deep team and it caught up with us.”

The Stags say goodbye to 10 seniors and will have some holes to fill in 2023, but expect them to make another playoff run.

“We lose a fair amount,” LeBlanc said. “These are the guys who had to deal with a lot over four years with the pandemic. I’m proud of them. We have a good group of juniors coming back and once again, we’ll have to find a goalie.”

Waynflete’s Myles Culley takes the winning shot during last Tuesday’s overtime victory over Yarmouth. Ben McCanna / Portland Press Herald.

Three-time defending Class C state champion Waynflete finished its season on a thrilling note last Tuesday, when it edged visiting two-time reigning Class B champion Yarmouth, 3-2, in overtime. Liam Anderson and Nils Burton-Johanson scored in regulation, but the Clippers scored late to force OT. There, just a couple minutes in, senior Myles Culley continued the best season in program history with his 35th goal, a brilliant 30-yard blast, to end it.

“That’s my best goal by far,” Culley said. “I was definitely frustrated. They planted a guy on me the whole game. Credit to him. I had a few chances, but I was largely shut down. Finally the time came, I got a clear look and bang. Every time I get the ball, I get it on my left foot and try to shoot. I knew I hit it well. I was praying it would go under the bar and it just went under. I was trying to lift that one. I was a little further out, so I felt if I was going to beat the keeper from out there, I had to hit it up.

These are the games that we live for, against good, solid Class B teams. Yarmouth’s a solid squad, so it’s a great win overall.”

“It was a great end to the regular season,” longtime Waynflete coach Brandon Salway said. “Yarmouth is just class. I’m not surprised they came back. Before overtime, we talked about being a little more direct and trying to get our guys up top a chance. We did a good job defensively. They didn’t get a ton of chances in the run of play. I think championship teams are resilient and they answer. We’ve done that for a few years now. Yarmouth does that. The best teams don’t stay down. (The tying goal) was deflating, but we had to remember to keep playing.”

Waynflete wound up 12-1-1 and is the top seed in Class C South. The Flyers welcome No. 8 Oak Hill (10-5) in the quarterfinals Wednesday at 3 p.m. The teams didn’t meet this year and have no playoff history.

“We just have to lock in and stay focused,” said Culley. “We certainly have the talent to go all the way.”

“Getting 12 wins with this schedule was great,” Salway said. “We try to get better throughout the year and our schedule forced us to get better. It’s a special group. A lot of guys improved a lot. The job is done for this part of the season, but (playoffs) is a different season. We haven’t played a perfect game yet. We may see different formations and we have to be ready for anything. Now, it’s one game at a time. There’s some really good teams in Class C that will challenge us, but we have high expectations.”

If, as expected, Waynflete advances to the semifinals for the eighth straight postseason, it will host either No. 4 Maranacook (9-3-2) or fifth-ranked Traip Academy (11-3) Friday afternoon. The Flyers and Black Bears didn’t play this season. Waynflete twice beat the Rangers, 4-2 at home and 6-3 in Kittery.

The Class C South Final is Wednesday of next week in Topsham.

The Class C state game is Saturday, Nov. 5 in Hampden.

Girls’ soccer

Portland’s Eliza Stein and Rachel Feeley of Cheverus battle for possession during the Bulldogs’ victory last week. Shawn Patrick Ouellette / Portland Press Herald

Cheverus and Portland’s girls’ soccer teams each passed preliminary round tests.

The Stags earned the No. 5 seed in Class A South after a 10-4 regular season, which ended with a 3-1 home loss to Portland and a 6-1 victory at Biddeford. Against the Bulldogs, Sophia Monfa scored, but it wasn’t enough.

“Their goalkeeper played well, but at this time of year, you have to finish your opportunities,” lamented Cheverus coach Craig Roberts. “We had 12 shots on frame and only one was not right at the goalie. Portland-Cheverus is always a big rivalry game. Portland came out and played hard and wanted it more for the majority of the game and they got the result they deserved.”

In the win, Finley Brown scored three goals, while Caoilinn Durkin, Lilly Hoyt and Annie Vigue all added one.

The Stags then hosted No. 12 Kennebunk in the preliminary round Friday and had no trouble advancing with a 4-0, as Brown, Vigue, Jillian Foley and Jaelyn Jensen scored the goals.

“Our team has come together really well,” senior captain Maddie Hom said. “We’re young, but we’re energetic and motivated. It’s big for the senior leaders to show the younger players the way. Our team is really close and we’ve come together and put in the work.”

“That (Portland) loss made our win today mean a lot more,” said Vigue. “We had to work hard to get it and we did. ”

“I thought for the most part, we played within ourselves today,” Roberts added. “It’s hard to move the ball around during the playoffs, but we did that.”

Cheverus (11-4) is at No. 4 Marshwood (12-2) in the quarterfinals Wednesday afternoon. The Stags won the regular season encounter, 3-0 at home, Oct. 7. The Stags won just one of five prior playoff meetings with a 4-0 setback in the 2015 Class A South preliminary round the most recent.

“The challenge doesn’t get any easier, but we had some success against them and hopefully, we’re battle-tested,” Roberts said. “I don’t think anybody thought we’d be one of the double-digit win teams and a five seed. We’re in a good spot, but we can’t rest on our laurels. Marshwood’s a good team and earned their bye. We’ll have to be at our best to keep our season rolling.”

Portland finished ninth in Class A South after going 7-7 in the regular season, closing with a 3-1 win at Cheverus and a 2-0 setback at Thornton Academy. In the victory, Anneliese Collin scored twice and set up Kate Martell for the third goal.

“This is a big, big confidence boost,” Collin said. “We’ve been pushing hard. Everyone worked so hard today. From goalie to defense to offense, we all worked hard the whole time and lifted each other up.”

“I’m really proud of (the girls),” said Bulldogs’ first-year coach Matt Bernstein. “I’m glad because I know how much work they’ve put in and how much they’ve grown and it’s nice for them to have this moment.”

Portland then upset No. 8 Sanford in the preliminary round Saturday morning, 1-0, as Eliza Stein scored the lone goal and goalkeeper Lucy Tidd stopped a penalty kick in the second half. The Bulldogs (8-7) were at top-ranked Scarborough (14-0) in the quarterfinals Tuesday. Portland lost at home to the Red Storm to start the season, 8-1, back on Sept. 2. Scarborough won both prior playoff meetings.

The Class A South semifinals are Saturday on the fields of the higher seeds. The regional final is Tuesday of next week in Sanford. The Class A state final is Saturday, Nov. 5 at Deering.

Deering ended the year 4-9-1 and 13th in Class A South, but just 12 teams qualified for the playoffs. The Rams closed with a 4-0 home loss to Scarborough.

In Class C South, Waynflete wound up fifth after a 10-4 campaign that culminated with a 2-1 victory at Old Orchard Beach last Tuesday. Lucy Hart scored both goals and Ayla Stutzman made eight saves.

The Flyers go to No. 4 Monmouth Academy (11-3) Wednesday in the quarterfinals. The teams didn’t play this fall. Waynflete is 4-1 all-time versus Monmouth Academy in the playoffs, with a 2-1 overtime victory in the 2016 Class C South semifinals the most recent.

The Class C South semifinals are Saturday on the fields of the higher seeds. The regional final is Wednesday of next week in Topsham. The Class A state final is Saturday, Nov. 5 at Hampden.

Volleyball

Cheverus and Deering both won state preliminary round playoff matches last week, then were eliminated in the quarterfinals.

The Stags, seeded fourth in Class A, blanked visiting Brunswick/Mt. Ararat, the No. 13 seed, by scores of 25-17, 25-15, 25-10 in last Thursday’s prelim, but Cheverus then dropped a tough four-set (24-26, 25-21, 18-25, 20-25) home decision to No. 5 Sanford in Saturday’s quarterfinal to wind up 9-7.

Deering, ranked eighth in Class A, beat visiting No. 9 Kennebunk in straight-sets (25-13, 25-20, 25-20) in last Thursday’s preliminary round, then was ousted in three games by top-ranked Biddeford in Saturday’s quarterfinals to finish with a record of 9-7.

Portland missed out on the playoffs after a 4-10 campaign.

Football

Thanks to a block from Isaak Alkafji, Reegan Buck breaks through for some yardage during Portland’s 20-13 victory at South Portland Friday in the “Battle of the Bridge.” Michael Hoffer / For The Forecaster

Portland wrapped up the regular season last Friday with its fourth straight victory, 20-13, at rival South Portland in the “Battle of the Bridge,” to finish 5-3. After a scoreless first quarter, the Bulldogs fell behind, 6-0, but scored three touchdowns before halftime, as Andrew Brewer scored on a 22-yard run, after a successful onside kick, quarterback Kennedy Charles scored on a 52-yard scamper, and as time expired in the second period, Charles hit Remijo Wani for a 27-yard TD and a 20-6 lead. The Red Riots pulled back within a score in the third quarter, but Portland’s defense slammed the door from there.

“Being a Bulldog, you have to dig deep and tough it out,” said Charles, who ran for 194 yards. “It feels great. It’s an accomplishment we’ve worked for all week. It just feels nice to get the ‘W.’”

“I’m super-relieved to win,” Brewer said. “Now we have good leverage and momentum going into the playoffs. It wasn’t easy. I told everyone we just had to dig down and win the game.”

“Hats off to South Portland,” Bulldogs coach Jason McLeod added. “They played well in many facets and components of the game. They have many dynamic players that gave us fits the entire course of the game. I have a feeling if things work out the way we both want it to, we’ll see them again. We have to finish drives. We moved the ball well, but we didn’t finish, so hats off to South Portland for stopping us. We were opportunistic on defense. We did our jobs. We tightened things up, but just when you get comfortable, they go out and make plays.”

Portland is the top seed in Class B South and will host No. 8 Noble (1-7) in the quarterfinals Friday at 6 p.m. The teams didn’t meet this year. The Bulldogs won two of three prior playoff meetings, with a 28-6 victory in last year’s semifinals the most recent.

Deering finished 1-7 with a 35-0 home loss to Gorham. The Rams wound up ninth in Class B South, but only eight teams qualified for the postseason.

In Class C South, Cheverus finished the regular year 5-3 after a 23-6 loss at Cape Elizabeth. The Stags wound up fifth in the region and go to No. 4 York (5-3) Friday in the quarterfinals. The teams didn’t meet this year and have no playoff history.