Massabesic junior Grace Frechette breaks in between a pair of Marshwood players at the 18th annual SMAA Playday at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland on Friday. Each of the 16 schools that attended the event played three 20-minute matches. (ANTHONY LOMBARDI/JOURNAL TRIBUNE)

PORTLAND – If the 18th annual SMAA Playday was an indication of the upcoming high school field hockey season, the winner of Class A South will have earned their seed.  

The 16 programs that make up the division met at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland on Friday for a preseason tune-up before the matches start counting next week. Each team played three 20-minute matches against a different opponent with the fast-paced action offering a glimpse of what’s in-store for the competitors. 

“It’s just such a tough conference. It’s crazy,” said second-year Noble head coach Josie Chadbourne. “Some of these girls are just at another level. It becomes physically and mentally exhausting for kids. Every single game is such a battle so if the kids aren’t ready to bring it, then they are going to have a hard time.” 

The year before Chadbourne became head coach at Noble High, the Knights scored four goals all season, she said. When she took over the varsity team in 2018, the goal was to score at least one time in every game. 

“You got to start somewhere you know,” said Chadbourne after Noble played consecutive matches against defending state champion Biddeford and a physically imposing Massabesic team.

Last year, Noble scored 19 goals and finished 2-12. This season the Knights are focused on a playoff berth. 

Thornton Academy junior Aliyah Bureau pressures a Scarborough player during the Golden Trojans second match at the 18th annual SMAA Playday for high school field hockey teams. (ANTHONY LOMBARDI/JOURNAL TRIBUNE)

“After a while, kids really start to accept … and settle into that role of not winning,” Chadbourne said. “I think that the whole culture will shift for us as long as we keep working the way that we have been. It’s a big commitment, but, hopefully, they can see something bigger than themselves out of it.”  

Thornton Academy head coach Lori Smith was pleased with the improvement her Golden Trojans displayed as they progressed through their tier of opponents. It’s about the small things at SMAA Playday: completing your passes, supporting your teammates and showing good sportsmanship . 

Smith uses the hour of gameplay each team receives to tinker with her lineup construction and give her players a taste of game action at various positions in case they ever need to rotate. 

“The more comfortable they are in different positions, the more versatile your team is,” Smith said. “(SMAA Playday) really is about trial and error. All of these game situations are letting us learn more … and are helping us get more comfortable.” 

Thornton finished last year 8-5-1 and earned the No. 9 seed in the playoffs. After a victory over No. 8 Sanford, Thornton lost a hardfought 2-0 contest to top seeded and eventual champion Biddeford. Smith likes where this year’s version of her roster sits – a mix of young talent like freshman Zoey Pennell and veterans like junior Aliyah Bureau. 

While Biddeford returns six starters from last season’s team, head coach Caitlin Tremberth acknowledges her Tigers have room to grow. 

“We have 10 sophomores … I know we’re young, and I just want to see improvement every game,” she said. “I think if we do that, then we’ll hopefully make a push later on.” 

This summer, said Tremberth, has been about moving forward from last year’s title. One player  who could prove vital to Biddeford’s chance at a repeat is freshman goalie Abby Nadeau who replaces Taylor Wildes. 

Massabesic also has a new face in the cage in Julia Gregoire who missed last season due to a shoulder injury. Gregoire soaked in everything she could from the sideline and has shown a knack for stepping up this preseason. 

“She loves goal. She’s crazy,” said Massabesic head coach Michele Martin-Moore. “She saw what our goalies had to do last year and she was chomping at the bit.” 

Even though Martin-Moore liked what she saw out of her Mustangs, she noted the importance of not looking too deep into these abbreviated matches. 

“You’ve got to take it with a grain of salt,” she said. “You can’t be too high or too low because it is only 20 minutes of a 50-minute game.”