When the Cheverus and Yarmouth hockey programs merged three years ago, they never agreed on a formal mascot. While the official name for the program is the Cheverus Yarmouth Co-op, they’ve been referred by announcers and newspapers alike by names such as the Stags, Clippers, and “ChevYarm”. However, the members of the team never referred to themselves by any of these terms. Instead, the phrase that was uttered in pregame huddles, captains' speeches, and coaches' meetings was the word “Family”.
Families stick together, and this year's Cheverus/Yarmouth team was no exception. A preseason tie to Gardiner before a pair of back-to-back losses to Kennebunk and Cape Elizabeth was not the start that the Co-op had envisioned. After these losses Captain Truman Peters stated that the team felt “discouraged and defeated,” but by persevering, coming together as a team, and “buying in,” the team managed to turn their fortunes around. Even while missing several key players, Cheverus/Yarmouth battled to a 3-3 tie against defending Class B state champions Brunswick. After this gritty effort, the boys of Cheverus/Yarmouth never looked back, going on an 11-1-1 streak that featured a 3-2 win over defending Class A state champs Scarborough and a 4-1 victory over eventual Class B finalists Messalonskee.
While the playoffs did not go the way that many of the players hoped, there were a lot of positive takeaways, both from the final elimination games in the playoffs and from the season as a whole. Captain Ben Moll says that it was “awesome to see many players step up this year,” as younger guys filled the boots of graduated seniors. Sophomore Quinn McCoy from Cheverus won Rookie of the Month for January, and freshman defenseman Colby Carnes logged many minutes and several points from the blue line. The future looks bright for Cheverus/Yarmouth hockey, and Truman Peters says that the seniors “can't wait to see what the team can do next year”.
Courtesy of Yarmouth Boys Hockey
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