Yarmouth/Freeport girls’ hockey coach David Intraversato spoke of the journey his team has taken to this point in the season. And thanks to a fast start, a tough defense and some clutch goaltending, the Clippers’ journey is still going.

Freshmen Celia Zinman and Adelaide Strout scored before Sadie Carnes added an empty-netter, goalie Ava Gervais made 22 saves, and top-seeded Yarmouth/Freeport defeated No. 2 Penobscot 3-1 to with the North regional title.

It’s the first state final appearance for the Clippers (17-2-1). The Pioneers, a first-year varsity co-op team made up of players from Brewer, Bangor, Hampden Academy, Hermon, John Bapst, Old Town and Orono, finished 15-4-1.

“We’ve been building this for four years now, this senior class and I started at the same time,” Intraversato said. “It’s just great to put everything together and finally win the North; it’s awesome.”

It wasn’t easy. Penobscot cut a two-goal deficit in half on a goal by Paige Oakes in the second period and spent most of the last two periods buzzing around the Yarmouth/Freeport net, looking for the equalizer.

“I felt like we tilted the ice in the second and a good portion of the third,” interim Penobscot Coach Jarrod Williams said. “We just couldn’t sneak one by. … Our girls skated their tails off. I couldn’t have asked for any more.”

The Pioneers took plenty of shots that didn’t make to the net. A defense led by Strout, Zinman and Chloe White saw to that.

“They had a really good game plan, too. They clogged the middle, they know we have a lot of shooters and skaters,” Williams said. “They took a lot of blocked shots. Their girls sacrificed their body.”

When shots did get through, Gervais – who hadn’t even played hockey before this season – was ready. She made several big stops on shots from the slot and circles.

“Confidence is key,” she said. “I’m a pitcher in softball, I’m used to that type of pressure on you. … At the end of the day, you just have to save one more than the other goalie.”

Yarmouth/Freeport gave her some offensive support early. Carnes led a 2-on-1 rush with Zinman and passed over to her teammate, and the freshman’s shot hit off the goalie’s pads and went in with 5:03 to go in the first period.

The Clippers made it 2-0 on a power play nearly four minutes later. Rosie Panenka had a shot that rebounded directly to Strout, who fired it home with 1:09 to go.

Strout made just as big a play on the other end of the ice at the start of the second. A Clipper defenseman slipped and fell, allowing Jordin Williams, Penobscot’s leading scorer, to go in on a breakaway. Strout caught up to her and broke up the rush.

“I was like ‘Oh God, I’ve just got to get back, I’ve got to get back,'” Strout said. “I was thinking ‘If they score, they’re back in it.’ ”

Penobscot’s pressure did lead to a goal, but after the push to start the third, the Clippers held firm. They had seven shots in a row after allowing the first five of the third period, then kept the puck deep in the Pioneers’ zone in the final minutes before Carnes delivered the empty-netter.

“We’ve had the same team for about two years now, which definitely helped us with our team chemistry,” Carnes said. “I think that really shows on the ice.”

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