The 2015 lacrosse season featured excellence from local players, so it came as no surprise to learn that this year’s All-American teams featured several familiar names.

This spring, one local girl and seven boys were honored.

Standouts

U.S. Lacrosse describes All-Americans as “Players who exhibit superior skills and techniques and possess exceptional game sense and knowledge. They are among the best players in the United States while also embodying excellent sportsmanship.”

Once again, Forecaster Country boasted no shortage of that kind of player this spring.

The boys’ All-American team included Brunswick’s Cam Glover, Cape Elizabeth’s Griffin Thoreck, Cheverus’ Thomas Lawson, Falmouth’s Bryce Kuhn, South Portland’s Jack Fiorini and T-Moe Hellier and Yarmouth’s Joe Oliva.

Gardiner senior middie Josh Caldwell and Gardiner senior defenseman Jake Truman were also selected.

Glover, a senior middie, capped his stellar career this spring by scoring 51 goals, assisting on 22 others and leading Brunswick to its first Class A championship since 2007, as he scored five times in a 13-9 win over South Portland in the state final. Glover graduates with 184 goals and 84 assists. He was named the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Player of the Year in both 2014 and 2015 and is a repeat All-American selection. Glover will play at Springfield College next year.

Mike Sfirri (2003), Brad Bishop (2004), Kit Smith (2007) Max Rosner (2008 and 2009), John Williams (2010) and Glover (2014) were also previously honored.

Thoreck, a senior attack, was hampered by a knee injury suffered in the fall, but he still remained a potent threat and helped make his teammates better, leading Cape Elizabeth to a third straight Class B crown. Thoreck scored 47 goals and had 27 assists, eclipsing last year’s 30 and 25. Thoreck is bound for Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Virginia.

“Griffin’s goals came against every team’s top defenders and defensive schemes meant to slow him down,” Cape Elizabeth coach Ben Raymond said. “What’s made him so outstanding has to be the amount of work he has put into his game on and off the field. He’s been dedicated to lacrosse since his freshman year. He surrounded himself with players who would push him and challenge him to be better. He spends huge amounts of time in the weight room, on the wall and on the turf. He loves to compete, no matter the sport. He’s extremely coachable, he takes instruction well and constantly elevates his game. Most importantly, he’s a great young man who loves his teammates and family and wants to be the best for them.”

Cape Elizabeth has a litany of All-Americans to its credit.

The state’s most storied program’s first All-American was Chris Carlisle in 1989. Since then, Ethan Sanford (1990), Troy Graham (1991), Jason McGeachey (1993), Sean Brady and Mike Mullen (1994), Ned Struzziero and Matt Williams (1995), Struzziero and Brendan Bigos (1996), Zach Herbert (1997 and 1998), Rorke Greene (1999), Andrew Braziel and Nick Krunkkala (2000), Mike DiFusco and Constantine Scontras (2001), DiFusco, Matt Ranaghan and Dean Scontras (2002), Ranaghan and Alex Weaver (2003), Matt O’Hearn (2004), Bryan Holden and Dan Rautenberg (2005), Zach Belden and Mike Holden (2008), Holden (2009), Ben Brewster and Tommy Foden (2010), Jack Roos (2011), Timmy Lavallee (2012), Alex Bornick and Adam Haversat (2013) and Tom Feenstra and Thoreck (2014) were all honored.

Lawson, a senior middie and one of the top offensive players in the Southwestern Maine Activities Association, led Cheverus to the Eastern A semifinals, scoring 46 goals and adding 21 assists, good for 67 points. He’ll matriculate at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey in the fall.

“Tom brings a unique combination of size and strength with quickness, finesse and soft hands,” Cheverus coach Bill Bodwell said. “He practices with game intensity, pushing himself and his teammates to get better. He works hard on individual skills both in practice and on his own time. He’s passionate about the game of lacrosse and has been an outstanding leader for Cheverus with his sportsmanship and work ethic.”

Lawson, also a 2014 selection, is the first repeat All-American in Cheverus history. The program’s other All-Americans were Eric Lindgren in 2002 and Andrew Pochebit in 2007.

Kuhn, a senior attack, emerged as Falmouth’s top scoring threat this season and he came up huge in some key spots, including his effort in an upset win at Cape Elizabeth in the regular season finale. Kuhn finished the year with 57 goals and 13 assists.

“I could tell Bryce was both a leader and a perfectionist the first time I met him at eighth grade practice,” said Yachtsmen coach Mike LeBel. “He led by example and was vocal when the situation required him to step forward and get the team back on track. I relied on Bryce to make decisions on the field and to provide appropriate feedback so we could find solutions to what we had difficulty with. His approach to the game didn’t change in four years. Bryce didn’t see the guys as juniors, sophomores and freshmen. They were all his peers. He realized he needed all of them to perform in order for the team to be successful. He got it. Not many do. He was a perfect captain.”

Prior Falmouth All-Americans include Kyle Jordan  in 2007, Dan Hanley and Michael Kane in 2010, Mike Ryan, Mitch Tapley and Nick Bachman in 2011, Ryan, Tapley and Willy Sipperly in 2012, I.V Stucker and Charlie Fay in 2013 and Stucker in 2014.

Fiorini, a junior middie and man-child, had 42 goals, 31 assists and 56 ground balls this season, giving him 106 goals, 79 assists and 185 GBs for his three-year career. Fiorini made South Portland’s potent offense go with his physicality, shooting touch and ability to set up his teammates. Fiorini is being heavily scouted by colleges at all levels.

“Jack’s stick skills, size and overall lacrosse ability made him a clear choice for All-American,” said Red Riots coach Tom Fiorini, who is also Jack’s father. “He can see the field to pass, dodge or shoot either on the run or stationary. Coming from a family that breathes lacrosse year-round gives him an edge on Xs and Os.”

Hellier, a senior goalie, who was widely recognized as the state’s best at his position and a four-year standout between the pipes, made 109 saves and collected 71 ground balls this spring in leading South Portland back to the Class A Final. He also scored a goal. For his career, Hellier finished with a program-record 628 saves. He will play at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland next year.

“T-Moe’s leadership and maturity combined with his incredible goalie skills made him an easy choice for All-American,” Tom Fiorini said. “His lacrosse IQ is higher than average, which made him a coach on the field.”

Eugene Arsenault (2007) and Duncan Preston (2014) were the only prior Red Riots All-Americans.

Oliva, a senior attack, scored a team-high 46 goals, had 29 assists and collected 34 ground balls (second only to his twin brother, Henry) in 2015 as he helped Yarmouth reach the Class B Final for the third year in a row. Over the past three seasons, Oliva has scored 91 times, added 48 assists and grabbed 98 GBs. Oliva will attend Colby College.

“Joe was relentless in practice and on the playing field,” said Yarmouth coach David Pearl. “Nobody worked harder in practice and in games and that translated into a dominant force on the offensive side of the field. He was unrelenting on the ride and caused many turnovers. He’s a prolific scorer with a real nose for the goal. He’s fiercely competitive. He has great speed and an elite ability to change directions. His IQ was reflected in his understanding that when teams tried to shut him down or slide to him early that he could still create offense for the team.”

Oliva is the latest in a long line of Yarmouth All-American and follows in the footsteps of Evans Spear (2000), Tim Kjelgaard (2002), Jared Harriman (2003), Chris Hichborn, Todd Lawrence and Jon Miller (2004), Hichborn and Zach Caldwell (2005), Caldwell and Hans Tobiason (2006), Francis Ellis (2007), John Curry and Sam Miller (2008), Steven Petrovek and Rob Highland (2009), Petrovek and Cam Woodworth (2010) and Drew Grout (2013).

In addition to the All-Americans, Scarborough senior Nate Howard was given the Bob Scott Award, an award honoring the former multiple-championship winning Johns Hopkins coach, which goes to the player who goes above and beyond in service to his team, school and community. Howard, a senior middie and faceoff specialist who is bound for the U.S. Naval Academy, was found to exemplify the fundamentals of lacrosse, work hard to improve his game and be a leader both on and off the field.

Howard had six goals, 14 assists, 49 ground balls and won 20 faceoffs this season.

“Nathan has been a model Scarborough lacrosse player and has set a standard for how to get better day in and day out,” said Red Storm coach Joe Hezlep. “He’s not the biggest player around, but that has never stopped him from taking on any challenge. He has taken an uncommon path. Since the seventh grade, he had a mission to attend the United States Naval Academy and did everything necessary to make that a reality. Nathan truly is a special kid and he has set a shining example of what it means to be a Scarborough lacrosse player.”

Special Storm

On the girls’ side, Scarborough’s Emma Smith was named an All-American honorable mention, along with Marshwood senior Lindsey Poirier and Kennebunk junior Olivia Sandford. Kennebunk junior Jenny Bush was the state’s lone All-American.

Smith, a junior midfielder, played in just nine of 15 games this spring, but she made quite an impact. Smith had 15 goals, two assists, collected 15 ground balls, won 13 draws and forced six turnovers in helping Scarborough reach the Western Class A Final.

“I believe that Emma was recognized this year due to her consistency and strength all over the field,” said Red Storm coach Michaela Wipfler. “She has an incredible field sense and strong stick skills. She quickly helped to set the tempo for our team each game. She is a very poised and composed player, a leader on and off the field. She was a key component for us on defense, in the midfield, especially on the circle and in our transitions, and on offense, helping to create movement and provide opportunities for her teammates to shoot.”

Scarborough’s lone prior All-American was Kelsey Howard in 2011. Previous honorable mentions included Ellie Morin in 2009, Maggie Smith in 2011 and Howard and Mary Scott in 2012.

The All-American All-Academic team included Brunswick’s Anna Ferdinand, Amelia Hawley, Sarah Judd and Savannah Smith, Cape Elizabeth’s Rhoen Fiutak, Emma Landes, Brette Lennon, Kirsten Rudberg and Lindsay Stewart, Falmouth’s London Bernier and Nicole Budri, Freeport’s Julia Dearden, Emily Johnson, Lily Johnston, Elizabeth Martin and Jasmine Olins, Greely’s Kelsey Otley and Maggie Reed, McAuley’s Greta DiPierro, Kathryn McBrady, Elizabeth Poulin, Amanda Spink and Rachel Taylor, Morse’s Anita Doughty, Shira Gersh, Julia Hart, Catherine Sener and Sophie Sreden, Mt. Ararat’s Alyssa Curit, Katie Labbay, Alison Nolan, Rebecca Schuman and Erin Tome, North Yarmouth Academy’s Acacia Bright, Mary Noyes and Emily Taylor, Portland’s Ellis Linsmith, Hannah Mermin and Elizabeth Victor, South Portland’s Margaret Bushey, Maddie Hasson, Aimee LaPlante, Abby Letourneau and Lily SanGiovanni, Waynflete’s Haley Johnson, Charlotte Majercik, Nina Moore, Dana Peirce and Meddy Smith and Yarmouth’s Lauren Bartlett, Mary Coyne, Campbell Dorsett, Shannon Fallon and Lilly Watson.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

Sidebar Elements

Fiorini

Glover

Hellier

Howard

Kuhn

Lawson

Oliva

Smith

Thoreck

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