Girls’ Hockey

GIRLS’ HOCKEY

COACH: Bob Mills (third year, 15-20-3 overall record)

2013-14 record: 11-9 (Lost, 11-1, to eventual state champion Scarborough in West Region semifinals)

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS: Kathryn Clark (Senior), Katie Ewald (Senior), Julia Ginder (Senior), Lily Jordan (Senior), Allison Mills (Senior), Hannah Bosworth (Sophomore), Eliza Connolly (Sophomore), Kate Ginder (Sophomore)

PIVOTAL GAMES: Dec. 10 EL/LEAVITT, Dec. 17 FALMOUTH, Jan. 3 @ Biddeford, Jan. 7 GREELY, Jan. 17 YARMOUTH/FREEPORT, Jan. 19 @ EL/Leavitt, Jan. 24 @ Scarborough, Jan. 31 BIDDEFORD

COACH’S COMMENT: “With eight seniors and only two players lost to graduation, we hope to be one of the top teams in the state. We have skill and experience at every position and we have strong goaltending with Lily back for her fourth campaign. We have 26 players total with some promising newcomers who will give us more depth than we’ve had before. Our goal this season is to build off of last season’s success and go deep into the playoffs.”

THE FORECASTER’S FORECAST: The 2013-14 season was a breakthrough campaign for this co-op program, which turned heads from the get-go and wasn’t stopped until it ran into the eventual state champions in the semifinals. This year, Capeflete, which has added a pair of South Portland players to the co-op, might be even better. Capeflete opened with victories over Portland/Deering (6-0) and Gorham/Bonny Eagle (7-1), then went toe-to-toe with established power Falmouth (losing, 3-2) and Scarborough (dropping a 2-1 overtime heartbreaker). This squad will be led offensively by Clark (19 goals, 16 assists during a first-team all-star campaign in 2013-14) and Bosworth (who was a second-teamer as a freshman after scoring 16 times and adding 16 assists). Honorable mention all-star Julia Ginder (10 goals, 8 assists), Mills (10 goals, 7 assists) and Ewald (5 goals, 6 assists) are also forwards of note. The defense features some goal scorers too in second-team all-star Kate Ginder (4 goals, 13 assists) and Connolly (3 goals, 3 assists). Jordan was a first-team all-star last winter and might be the state’s best between the pipes. She always seems to be at her best in the biggest games. South Portland freshman Abby Joy will also get a chance to play goalie. Senior Maddy Pellow from Waynflete is new to the sport, but has picked it up quickly and will help the cause, as will Waynflete freshman Laura Baginski. If Capeflete can learn how to beat the upper echelon (and it’s very close to doing so), it could easily surpass last winter’s wonderful accomplishments and perhaps make a run at a title. Don’t put such lofty heights past this group.

The Forecaster