SCARBOROUGH — For the past seven years, if a field hockey team in Western Class A wants to go far in the playoffs, eventually it’s going to have to go through Scarborough.

On Tuesday night, Thornton Academy did just that ”“ and like so many before, came up short to the big Red Storm machine.

Top-seeded Scarborough scored first just 12:25 in when Lily Nygren slotted home a rebound, and the Red Storm added two more goals during an early second-half blitz to beat the fourth-seeded Golden Trojans 3-1 in a Western Class A semifinal at the Kippy Mitchell Sports Complex.

Scarborough (16-0) extended its unbeaten streak against Western Maine competition to an even 50 games with the win, and will look to make its third straight state championship game when it takes on third-seeded Marshwood ”“ which knocked off No. 7 Cheverus 5-1 in the day’s other semifinal ”“ in the regional final Thursday.

“We played our game,” Scarborough coach Kerry Mariello said. “We took advantage of the opportunities that were given ”“ beating them to the ball, all of those little things that matter, we seemed to accomplish today.”

Thornton Academy ended its season at 12-4, the most wins in a single-season since the 1988 regional runner-up team. The Trojans had met the Red Storm earlier this fall, taking the game into overtime before an Abby Walker goal decided it for Scarborough.

The Trojans were hoping to keep the game even again into the late stages of regulation and this time perhaps get the break for the deciding goal, Thornton coach Lori Smith said, but the seasoned Red Storm were again able to lift their game to the next level for the postseason.

“I saw way more skill from them this time. Last time I felt like it was all physical and more like ice hockey, and this time they played a much more skill game,” Smith said. “I thought they were much-improved from the last time we played them, and you can see the difference on the score board.”

After an even first 10 minutes, the Red Storm got on the board first thanks to a corner as a hard shot on goal was saved by T.A. goalie Isabella Capozzi, only for Nygren to be well placed on the post for a tap in. For a Scarborough team that has conceded just three goals this year, it was a big strike so early on.

“That was definitely a momentum shift in our favor,” Mariello said. “When you have to play catch up, you start making mistakes that way, so early and often has been our motto.”

Thornton was able to keep it at 1-0 thanks to the solid play of the defense and Capozzi (three saves), and had a chance to equalize with a minute left on a corner of its own when Carly Legere received the insertion pass at the top of the circle and fired a shot that was nicely stopped by Red Storm goalie Alyssa Souza for her only save of the game.

“Carly’s shot at the end of the first half, that could have been the difference,” Smith said. “That was a nice save there and unfortunately we couldn’t get a stick on it. A goal earlier in the game like that would have helped quite a bit.”

It likely would have made a major difference to the opening part of the second half, when Scarborough enjoyed its period of greatest dominance on the night and was able to go 3-0 up thanks to two hard drives into the circle by Miss Maine Field Hockey finalist Maddy Dobecki.

The first came on a corner as Dobecki’s drive from outside the circle was tipped by Kristen Murray and nicely saved by Capozzi, with Kristen Levesque there to put in the rebound.

“We were a little flat the first half of the second half,” Smith said. There wasn’t much energy and we couldn’t get much going. We were a little too far apart passing wise, so they were just intercepting our passes. We were making it easy for them to do that.”

Two minutes later with 19:48 to play, Dobecki again drove the ball hard into the circle, where Murray was again able to deflect the ball on goal, with it this time just rolling inside the right post to make things 3-0.

“Maddy Dobecki, those hard hits are hard to stop,” Smith said. “Those are like lasers into the circle and that third goal, there was no way to stop that. They’re very good at tipping those and they get those in.”

Thornton was able to get on the board with 18 minutes left as Grace Pickering’s incisive pass from the top of the circle cut through the Scarborough defense and found Taylor Ouellette on the post for a finish.

That would be the Trojans only shot of the second half, however, as Scarborough’s pressure cover defense did its job to see out the game in the final 15 minutes.

Thornton graduates eight seniors ”“ seven of whom started Tuesday ”“ off its roster, but will return leading goal scorer Libby Pomerleau as well as center midfielder Pickering and goalie Capozzi, a strong base for Smith to build around for next year.

“Last year we got knocked out in the prelims, so to come to the semifinals this year is exciting,” Smith said. “Certainly we would have liked to go through (the state championship game on) Saturday, but this is nothing to be ashamed of.”

—Staff Writer Cameron Dunbar can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or cdunbar@journaltribune.com.