Yarmouth’s Pamela Morrill holds off Lewiston’s Avaya Desjardins on her way to the goal during Saturday’s game in Lewiston. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
The girls hockey playoffs begin Wednesday, and in the North region, there are new faces at the top of the standings.
Earning byes into the regional semifinals are No. 1 seed Yarmouth/Freeport, which has already tied a program record with 15 wins this season, and the No. 2 seed Penobscot Pioneers — the Brewer/Bangor/Hampden/Hermon/John Bapst/Old Town/Orono co-op, which is in its first season as a program.
“We were saying the same thing, how the standings have totally flipped from four, five years ago, where it was always EL, Lewiston and St. Dom’s at the top,” Lewiston coach Scott Laberge said. “The middle teams were the Yarmouths, and now Lewiston, St. Dom’s and EL are at the bottom, and now those teams are at the top.
“It’s good for the league for those teams to get some success.”
Lewiston is the No. 6 and final seed in the North, while rivals Edward Little/Leavitt/Poland and St. Dom’s/Winthrop/Monmouth didn’t qualify for the postseason.
The Blue Devils (10-8), the two-time defending state champions (2020 and 2022), will travel to take on the No. 3 Winslow/Gardiner/Cony/Messalonskee/Lawrence/Erskine/Maranacook/Mt. Blue Black Tigers (13-5) on Wednesday.
The Black Tigers defeated Lewiston 3-0 last week at The Colisee in the only matchup between the two teams this season. Laberge said the game was closer than the score indicates.
“We just played them the other night; I think we were competitive against them,” Laberge said. “One of them was an own goal and the third one was an empty-net (goal). It was a close game for the most part.”
The winner of the Blue Devils and Black Tigers game will take on the Pioneers on Saturday at Penobscot Ice Arena in Brewer at 6:45 p.m.
The Penobscot Pioneers have a lot of firepower, led by sophomore forward Jordin Williams, who has the most points in the state, with 28 goals and 23 assists in 18 games. Also, Emma McNeil has scored 30 goals this season.
“They came on the scene and surprised everybody,” Yarmouth/Freeport coach David Intraversato said. “They are going to be tough in the playoffs.”
The other quarterfinal game in the North is between a pair of rivals, No. 4 Brunswick (11-7) and No. 5 Mt. Ararat/Lisbon/Morse (11-7), on Thursday at 8:15 p.m. The winner advances to face top-seeded Yarmouth/Freeport (15-2-1).
The Eagles pulled off an upset late in the season when they defeated Yarmouth/Freeport 2-0.
Brunswick won the regular season games against Mt. Ararat/Lisbon/Morse, 4-1 and 4-3. The Eagles players are excited to have another game at Bowdoin College’s Sid Watson Arena — the home rink for both teams.
“The seniors, there are 10 seniors on the whole team, a bunch of them were pretty sad a couple of games ago that it was going to be our last game there,” Eagles coach Dave Hunter said. “To be able to play one more game there at Bowdoin is a blessing. We are fired up about it.”
Any team could find itself representing the North in the state championship on Feb. 18 at Troubh Ice Arena in Portland, according to Hunter.
“The top six teams can be in that last game,” Hunter said. ” I truly believe it. There have been a lot of upsets and surprises. I think it’s whoever shows up, skates the hardest and plays the cleanest, and stays out of the penalty box, whoever wins every puck battle will come out on top.”
The South regional playoffs won’t begin this weekend. Due to not having enough healthy players to compete, No. 5 Falmouth/Scarborough had to forfeit its quarterfinal game with No. 4 York/Traip/Marshwood/Noble.
York/Traip/Marshwood/Noble (10-8) automatically advances to take on No. 1 Cheverus/Old Orchard/Kennebunk/Windham (15-3) in the regional semifinals at 4:20 p.m. on Saturday.
The other semifinal game is No. 2 Gorham/Bonny Eagle/Massabesic/Fryeburg/Lake Region/Westbrook (12-6) welcoming No. 3 Cape Elizabeth/Waynflete/South Portland (11-7) to the University of Southern Maine Ice Arena in Gorham on Friday at 7:20 p.m.
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