CLASS A
Who: South Portland (13-3) vs. Cape Elizabeth (16-0)
When: 6 p.m. Monday
Where: Fitzpatrick Stadium, Portland
Outlook: Cape Elizabeth is playing for a third straight state championship and 14th in program history. South Portland is back in the state final for the first time since 2015, and the Red Riots are looking for their first championship since 2014. Two of South Portland’s three losses came against the Capers, 10-6 and 8-4. No opponent has generated much offense against Cape this season, and the Capers haven’t allowed more than nine goals in a game. Leading Cape’s defense is senior Nate Patterson, who has 112 ground balls and 22 caused turnovers. Junior Keegan Lathrop is Cape’s top offensive player with 60 goals and 17 assists. Connor Goss (33 goals, 23 assists), Bobby Offit (30 goals), and Sam Cochran (28 goals, 21 assists) are also offensive weapons who will challenge Ben Kieu, South Portland’s outstanding goalie. Kieu made 21 saves in an 8-4 semifinal win at Falmouth and boasts a 64.6 save percentage. Finn O’Donnell (15 caused turnovers) and Brady Angell (28 caused turnovers) are strong defensive players for South Portland, and their play will be key in limiting the number of shots Kieu faces. Offensively, sophomore Beckett Mehlhorn is South Portland’s top scorer with 51 goals, while Brady Demers has 39 goals.
CLASS C
Who: North Yarmouth Academy (11-5) vs. Waynflete (14-2)
When: 12:30 p.m. Monday
Where: Fitzpatrick Stadium, Portland
Outlook: This is a rematch of last season’s Class C state title game, won by Waynflete in overtime. The Flyers are going for their third straight state championship and fourth in five seasons. The one time Waynflete did not win the Class C crown since its advent in 2018, it went to NYA. These rivals met once in the regular season, with Waynflete taking a 3-1 win in a low-scoring affair. The Flyers’ two losses came against York, which won the Class B state championship, and South Portland, which is playing for the Class A title. Seth Cloutier (32 goals, eight assists), Roan Hopkins (24 goals, 17 assists), and Haven Savory Kreiss (22 goals, six assists) lead the Flyers’ offense, which has six players with 10 or more goals. Senior captain Liam Anderson has 22 turnovers caused to lead Waynflete’s defense. Senior Jack Curtis has seen the majority of time in net for NYA, with a 5.86 goals-against average. Three players, senior Brayden Warde (42 goals, 31 assists), sophomore Zach Leinwand (35 goals, eight assists) and junior James Brogan-Provencher (27 goals, 19 assists), have accounted for the bulk of NYA’s offense.
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