Girls' hockey: 2024 Varsity Maine All-State team
Apr. 13—Marina Bassett, Portland co-op junior forward: Bassett was the leading scorer for the Portland/South Portland/Cape Elizabeth/Waynflete co-op team. She scored 36 goals and added 26 assists, helping the Beacons reach the South semifinals. Bassett tallied five hat tricks, including a five-goal effort in a win over York.
Jane Flynn, Portland co-op sophomore defense: Flynn led Portland/Deering in scoring as a freshman and continued to be a strong two-way hockey player this season with the newly formed co-op team. She finished with 12 goals and 28 assists, including a goal and five assists in her team's two playoff games.
Greta Grant, Gorham co-op senior defense: A semifinalist for the Becky Schaffer Award as Maine's best senior girls' hockey player, Grant helped the Rams reached the South championship game for a second consecutive year. She scored 12 goals to go with 16 assists, giving her team some offensive punch from the blue line. A senior at Fryeburg Academy, Grant plans to attend New England College, where she'll play hockey and study nursing.
Emerson Homa, Gorham co-op senior forward: The winner of the Becky Schaffer Award, given annually by the Maine High School Girls Hockey Association coaches to the top senior in Maine, Homa led the state with 45 goals, including eight on the power play and six in three playoff games. She added 17 assists, giving her 62 points in 21 games. She plans to continue her hockey career at UMass Boston.
Lucy Johnson, Cheverus/Windham junior forward: The 2023 Varsity Maine Player of the Year, Johnson was once again an integral player for Cheverus, helping the Stags win a second consecutive state title. She had 33 goals and 13 assists, with hat tricks in playoff wins over Falmouth/Scarborough and Gorham, and a goal and an assist in the state final against Yarmouth/Freeport. Also the top field hockey player in the state, Johnson has committed to play that sport at Boston University.
Ella Lemieux, Cheverus/Windham senior goalie: A finalist for the Becky Schaffer Award, Lemieux was outstanding in net for the Stags, posting a .945 save percentage and a 1.05 goals-against average in a bounce-back season after missing much of her junior year to injury. Lemieux posted seven shutouts in 16 starts, and allowed more than two goals in a game just once. She made 17 saves in a 4-0 win over Yarmouth/Freeport in the state championship game, including a pair of breakaway stops in the second period.
Brynn McKenney, Cheverus/Windham senior defense: The Varsity Maine Player of the Year, McKenney was the backbone of the Stags' strong defensive unit the last two seasons. Led by McKenney, Cheverus allowed just 23 goals in 20 games this season, winning a second consecutive state title. McKenney also contributed offensively, with eight goals and 17 assists, including six assists in the playoffs. McKenney was a finalist for the Becky Schaffer Award. She'll attend Montana State, where she plans to play club hockey.
Anna Molloy, Penobscot senior defense: A finalist for the Becky Schaffer Award, Molloy was a catalyst at both ends of the ice for the Pioneers. Molloy tallied 15 goals and 15 assists, and opened the season with at least one goal in Penobscot's first six games. She plans to attend the University of Maine, where she'll play soccer.
Amanda Panciocco, Yarmouth/Freeport senior defense: It was another standout season for Panciocco, whose blue line play helped the Clippers reach the state championship game for a second consecutive season. A semifinalist for the Becky Schaffer Award, Panciocco contributed eight goals and five assists. Four of her goals came on the power play, and she did not take a penalty this season. She plans to attend the University of Wisconsin.
Rosie Panenka, Yarmouth/Freeport senior forward: With 16 goals and 19 assists, Panenka led the Clippers in scoring, helping the team win a second straight North title and advance to the state championship game. She was one of the best in the state on faceoffs, winning 73%. A finalist for the Becky Schaffer Award, Panenka had an assist in Yarmouth/Freeport's 3-1 win over Penobscot in the regional championship game. She will attend Bowdoin College and play softball.
Mikayla Talbot, Cheverus/Windham senior forward: A semifinalist for the Becky Schaffer Award, Talbot was the top scorer in a potent Cheverus offense, recording 28 goals and 40 assists. She was at her best in the biggest moments, producing five goals and eight assists in three playoff games, including two goals and two assists in a 4-0 win over Yarmouth/Freeport in the state final. Over the last two seasons, Talbot tallied 50 goals and 65 assists.
Jordin Williams, Penobscot junior forward: One of the top offensive players in the state, Williams led the Pioneers to the North final for the second year in a row in just two years of being a varsity program. She topped the state in scoring with 72 points — 33 goals and 39 assists. Williams recorded five hat tricks, including in three consecutive midseason games. She had two or more assists in nine games.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Scott Rousseau, Cheverus/Windham: It's hard sometimes to make a strong team even better, but that's exactly what Rousseau did with the Stags. Coming off a state title, Cheverus went 19-1 this season to earn a second straight championship. The team ended the season with an eight-game winning streak and outscored three playoff opponents 18-4. It would have been easy for a talented team to coast, but Rousseau and his assistant coaches kept the Stags focused and at their best.
