LEWISTON — Cheverus’ players were aware coach coach Lauren Lessard played lacrosse at Lewiston High School from 2010-2012.

Perhaps it would have been better if the players hadn’t known because the first half was full of jitters for the Stags as Lessard returned to Lewiston for the first time as an opposing coach Saturday.

Cheverus bounced back in the second half with a barrage of goals and put away Lewiston 11-7.

The halftime adjustments for Cheverus (2-0) turned out to be the difference as Lewiston had amassed a 3-2 lead in the first 25 minutes.

“We had a good practice yesterday, and we talked a lot about our team dynamic and how we step onto the field needs to change a little bit with just encouragement, and I think as a girls sport in general that’s really beneficial,” Lessard said. “We kind of backed it up a little bit and talked about our good shots and when to take a shot and when to settle the ball and really come back to our core and who we are as a team.”

After Lewiston’s Grace Dumond scored 10 minutes into the game to put the Blue Devils up 1-0, the Stags came back with an emphatic answer.

With 12:57 remaining in the first half, Cheverus’ Annesley Black scored off a free position attempt after a foul to tie the game. Just 10 seconds later, Riley O’Mara scored again for the Stags right off the face off to give the Stags a 2-1 lead.

Rachelle Ouellette scored with 6:31 remaining in the half and then Christine Chasse scored off a free position attempt to put Lewiston up 3-2 at the half.

One of the main reasons the Blue Devils (1-2) stayed with the Stags in the first half was goalie Cece Racine, who made six saves in the first 25 minutes.

“(Racine’s) save rate has been off the charts, we’re looking at 70 percent, the other game it was 50 percent,” Lewiston coach Tracey Blaisdell said. “Her focus, determination and drive, she just comes and works hard outside and inside of practice. She’s a great communicator and she’s one of our assistant captains and clearly a leader on the team.”

Cheverus’ Aisling Flaherty felt that the team didn’t have its A-game in the first half. After Lessard’s talk at halftime, the Stags came out ready to go in the second half.

“We came out pretty slow, a little out of it, but at halftime we talked through our problems and pumped each other up,” Flaherty said. “We came back as a team, super-strong with a lot of positivity.

“We can overcome a lot. In the beginning it was rough for us. We were all pretty emotional and struggling and nervous and stressed because our coach is from Lewiston so we wanted to impress her.”

The Stags came out firing in the second half, and Flaherty scored only 85 seconds in for her first of four goals after halftime.

Bella Booth scored next for Cheverus, followed by Tarryn MacDonald and then Zoe Mazur to extend the lead to 6-3 less than six minutes into the half.

The Blue Devils and Stags traded possessions for 10 minutes while Cheverus’ Neve Cawley and Racine made save after save (12 and 10 total saves, respectively).

With 9:56 remaining, Flaherty found the back of the net for Cheverus after Mazur ran 60 yards down the left sideline to set up the quick offensive possession. Flaherty then scored 10 seconds later off the face off to make it 8-3.

“I think during the first half we were a little bit playing 50 percent off the draws, and I kind of told them during halftime that we need to step up our energy and get that momentum,” Lessard said. “In a game like lacrosse, it takes a lot from that draw because once you get that faceoff then you have the momentum going forward. It gets more positivity and moves the ball quicker off that quick draw.”

Dumond scored a minute later for Lewiston to make it 8-4, but Cheverus stayed the course.

Lewiston’s Christine Chasse scored twice near the end of the game and Kelsie Lynch scored at the final buzzer, but Cheverus had answers whenever Lewiston made a charge.

“I think they adjusted really well at the half,” Blaisdell said. “Lauren’s a great coach so she’s coming with a lot of experience and she was able to adjust at the half. 

“I thought our kids were so great. Our defense really pulled together today and I was really proud of them. We could have had better shot selection but that’s something we can work on. There’s so much to work on but I felt we really focused on our defense today, and any time you can stay that competitive with a team like Cheverus I think we did an amazing job.”

For Cheverus, the team quickly forgot about the nerves and showed its talent in the second half.

“I think in the first half we got out there with a lot of jitters, especially for me coming back to the school that I was a part of and coach from,” Lessard said. “I think they took that we have to come out and play hard and got kind of in their head a little bit. Coming out in that second half and definitely during halftime we were able to take a step back, breathe a little bit and get back to the basics of knowing how to play lacrosse.”

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