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There was a common sight on lacrosse fields in southern Maine last spring when Mia Rapolla of Gorham was playing.

It went something like this: Win draw. Sprint downfield. Score goal. Repeat.

Rapolla, the Rams’ swift midfielder, scored a whopping 110 times last year, so she’s preparing to face double- and triple-team defenses in her senior season.

That’s just fine, said Rapolla, who figures teamwork will prevail.

She hopes the Rams will exceed last year’s run to the Western Class A final.

“The good thing about it is two defenders on me means one of my teammates is open,” said Rapolla. “I anticipate passing a lot more. It’s going to be thinking about quick-sticking it in. Fakes. Give-and-go. We have to think back of the net. And it doesn’t matter where it comes from.”

Gorham pushed Scarborough to the brink in the regional final last spring, forcing the eventual undefeated Class A champs to dig deep in their toughest test of the year.

The Red Storm won 15-14 in overtime.

“It’s feeding us this year,” said Rapolla, who remembers the night vividly. “I think a lot of people didn’t think our team could get there. People overlooked us. But every time we think back, it fuels the fire.”

Gorham’s program lacks the history of perennial contenders such as Scarborough, Waynflete, Yarmouth, North Yarmouth Academy, Kennebunk and Brunswick.

What it does have, said Coach Ashley Dyer, is depth and a plan.

“We’re going to be contenders,” said Dyer. “I think a lot of people leave us out every year, but I think we have a lot of great players coming back.”

The list starts with Rapolla.

Dyer has had Rapolla double-teamed at practice to get used to finding ways to beat that strategy. Preseason scrimmages have also given the Rams of glimpse of what they’ll face.

“We’ve already seen it. It’s going to be a tougher game for her. She’ll have a lot to overcome,” said Dyer. “But Mia is very strong physically and emotionally. So I think she can handle it.”

Dyer also returns speedy attack Chelsea Black, junior midfielder Lindsey Smith, who is quick off the draw, and sophomore attack Kali St. Germain, who was among the team’s leading scorers as a freshman.

Rapolla has committed to play lacrosse next year at the University of Massachusetts, a Division I program.

She plans to spend a lot of time in the weight room to increase her strength between now and then, but also believes the extra defensive pressure only will help her at the next level.

“I’m working on being more explosive,” said Rapolla. “Lunges. Squats.”

For now it’s about preparing for her final season. At the end of the day, she hopes to help her team reach the state final.

“Sure, we don’t have that history, but I think we play better when we’re the underdog,” said Rapolla.

Staff Writer Jenn Menendez can be contacted at 791-6426 or at: jmenendez@pressherald.com