BIDDEFORD — A brutal stretch to end the season left the Biddeford girls hockey team out of gas for its regular-season finale against Falmouth on Saturday. The 4-1 loss to the Yachtsmen cemented the Tigers’ place as the No. 3 seed in the Western Maine playoffs, instead of the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye that a win would have given them.
The Tigers return to the ice today as they host No. 6 Gorham/Bonny Eagle at Biddeford Ice Arena ”“ the game was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but moved up a day due to the impending storm.
“No. 3 is one higher than we did last year. We’re always looking to improve, and that shows that we have,” said Biddeford head coach Ashley Potvin. “What I tell the girls all the time is that, especially when we’re in situations like this, we’re a year stronger, we’re a year more experienced, we’re a year smarter, we’re a year better of hockey players.”
While they had to settle for the No. 3 seed, there are two things on the Tigers’ side as they prepare for their opening playoff game: The two days off between the loss to Falmouth and the game against the Rams is one more than they got in a five-day stretch from last Tuesday to Saturday, and they have already beaten the Rams twice this season.
“I think it’s prepared us a lot, because we have a little bit of a break now. And we’re not going to have another stretch of games where it’s four in five days,” said senior captain Dalani Roy. “Now we can kind of rest and focus on what needs to be done in the upcoming games one at a time versus so many in a row.”
Those two games against the Rams, however, took place before Christmas and happened in a four-day span. The Tigers routed the Rams 7-2 on the big ice at USM Ice Arena on Dec. 10 before having to go into overtime to win the rematch 3-2 at BIA on Dec. 14.
The Tigers were dealt five of their six losses after those two matchups, but they consisted of two losses to Falmouth, two to West No. 1 Scarborough and one to East No. 1 Leavitt/Edward Little.
The Rams, on the other hand, picked up five of their seven wins after the early season home-and-home series. Among those victories, however, was just one win against a playoff team ”“ East No. 5 seed Mt. Ararat.
Despite ending the regular season in disappointing fashion to Falmouth, Biddeford ended the season on a hot streak, winning four-straight between losses to the Edward Little/Leavitt and the Yachtsmen.
This Biddeford team also has many returning players from last year’s team that lost to Cheverus in the first round.
“I think last year we had a very inexperienced team when it came to playoff situations, and I think that now the majority of our team has been in a playoff situation, has played in a playoff game, they know what it feels like, they know what to expect and they know they have to hit the ground running ”“ hit the ice running,” said Potvin. “I think that we definitely carried more experience this year into the playoffs, which is going to be to our benefit.”
Possibly Biddeford’s biggest asset is in goal, where they can turn to senior Cassie Ellis, who had one of the best games of her career in the loss to Falmouth, stopping 50 of 54 shots against her.
“To see her come up and make some of those saves that she may have struggled with earlier in the season was huge, and it should be a huge confidence boost,” Potvin said. “I would say easily this is the best we’ve seen her play this year. And it’s been nice, because I feel like the every game that we’ve had recently, I feel like I’ve said that. She’s been so focused and so determined to do what she needs to do to help her team.”
This Tigers team has plenty of experience to fall back on ”“ both recent and from a season ago ”“ as they prepare to take the ice tonight. They know that their opponent is dangerous ”“ after twice holding one-goal leads in Biddeford’s overtime win ”“ but that they can be beaten.
“I think we’re ready for it. I think we’re going to start out really great,” said Ellis. “I’m pretty excited. I think we’re going to work hard and do our best.”
Puck drop for tonight’s quarterfinal matchup is set for 6 p.m.
A win for the Tigers would set up a semifinal matchup with Falmouth.
— Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or sports@journaltribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.
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