Male:

MATTHEW BEATTY, Senior—Lacrosse

  • All-American

  • WMC all-star, first team

  • Senior All-Star

Beatty could have been a prolific scorer this spring, but instead happily embraced the role of playmaker and wound up with an abundance of assists, which helped the Clippers get back to the state final.

Beatty started playing lacrosse in fifth grade and quickly fell in love with the sport.

“I like the intensity of lacrosse,” Beatty said. “It’s a combination of multiple sports. You need hand-eye coordination. I’m motivated by my coaches. I want to win for them.”

Beatty was a three-sport athlete in high school, playing three years of soccer (and winning a pair of state titles), competing in indoor track for three years and playing three years of varsity lacrosse.

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Beatty was a second team all-star as a junior, but really emerged as a prolific offensive threat this season, not only scoring 39 goals (an impressive feat itself), but setting up teammates 58 times for nearly 100 points on the season. He also collected 27 ground balls.

Highlights included three goals in a loss to defending Class A champion Brunswick, four goals in a win over Greely, four assists in a loss to Cape Elizabeth and three goals and six assists in a regular season-ending win over NYA. Beatty’s finest hour came May 14 at eventual Class A champion Scarborough when he scored three times and more impressively assisted on 10 other goals in a 16-11 victory.

In the playoffs, Beatty had four goals and five assists in a quarterfinal round win over NYA, then scored twice and added six assists in a semifinal round victory over Gardiner and had two goals and eight assists in a regional final romp over Maranacook/Winthrop. In the state game loss to Falmouth, Beatty bowed out with two goals and one final assist.

“We had some losses we learned from and some huge wins,” Beatty said. “It was a successful season. It was about growing up as young men and setting a tone for the kids coming up.”

Beatty had no problem serving more as an feeder than a scorer.

“Everyone likes to score and goals are great, but you can’t win with individual talent,” Beatty said. “My role was to bring the team together and get other guys scoring. The only thing I wanted was to win a championship.”

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Beatty earned several postseason honors, including being named one of Maine’s eight All-Americans. He also was a mentor and a member of Yarmouth’s Outing Club.

Beatty plans to attend Fordham University, where he’ll study finance and play club lacrosse.

He proved that it’s better to give than to receive and that good things happen when you do. Matthew Beatty, Yarmouth’s Spring Male Athlete of the Year. made a potent offense go and led the Clippers back to the sport’s biggest stage.

Coach David Pearl’s comment: “Matthew is a threat every time he touches the ball. He was not only a goal scorer, but he was able to make everyone around him better. He has an extremely high lacrosse IQ and when he plays, his head is up and he’s able to read the slide and distribute the ball. When you’re looking for a dominant attack player, you’re looking for a player who can carry the ball with confidence, initiate offense that results in a shot or draw a slide. He’s that type of player. He anticipates slides and is able to deliver a beautiful pass. He works extremely hard every play and is a tenacious rider.”

Previous winners:

2015 Joe Oliva (lacrosse)

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2014 Braden Becker (tennis)

2013 Ben Decker (tennis)

2012 Bryce Snyder (baseball)

2011 Campbell Belisle-Haley (baseball)

2010 Nick Whittaker (baseball)

2009 Rob Highland (lacrosse)

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2008 Robb Arndt (baseball)

2007 Jon Poole (lacrosse)

2006 Hans Tobiason (lacrosse)

2005 Chris Hichborn (lacrosse)

2004 Jon Miller (lacrosse)

2003 Jared Harriman (lacrosse)

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2002 Tim Kjeldgaard (lacrosse)

Female:

MARY KATE GUNVILLE, Junior-Lacrosse

  • WMC all-star, second team

Gunville continued to cement her legend as one of the all-time great big-game goalies by making an abundance of huge saves in helping the Clippers return to the state final.

Gunville grew up in Yarmouth and started playing in the fifth grade. She started to specialize as a goalie in middle school under the tutelage of Jill Thomas and made the varsity team as a freshman, where she didn’t expect to ever see the field.

Instead, early in the year, Gunville got thrown into the fire with Yarmouth trailing visiting Greely by a large margin and she made some big saves and the Clippers came back to win.

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“I didn’t even think I’d make varsity,” Gunville said. “I was so nervous and I didn’t know anyone except (fellow freshman) Eliza (Lunt). The seniors made me feel like part of the team right away.”

Gunville then took a stranglehold on the goalie position and was in the cage when Yarmouth beat Cape Elizabeth to win the state title.

As a sophomore, she was even better and came up huge in the state final when the Clippers upset Kennebunk.

This season, Gunville saved 62 percent of the shots she faced, including 56 on free positions. Highlights included 11 saves in a win at NYA, nine shots in a victory over Greely and seven saves against Cape Elizabeth.

Gunville came up big in the playoffs too, saving five shots in a win over Freeport in the quarterfinals, making several tough stops in a semifinal victory over St. Dom’s and holding Morse at bay in the regional final. In the state game, Gunville made eight saves, several early, but Yarmouth finally met its match and lost to undefeated champion Kennebunk.

“Getting to all those state games didn’t feel real,” Gunville said. “It’s a by-product of an amazing team effort. Everyone works together for the same goal. We have a lot of heart.”

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Gunville seems to never get fazed on the field, but she admits she has her moments.

“I’ve broken down and cried many times after games,” Gunville said. “I get frustrated with myself, but I get over it quickly. I’m very lucky to have amazing coaches and an amazing family.”

Gunville also takes part in the school play, will be the co-Vice President of the Gay Straight Transgender Alliance and belongs to Green Voices and Outing Club.

After getting to the state final three straight years, Gunville would love to play on the big stage one more time as a senior. She’s thinking about playing lacrosse in college, but isn’t certain she’ll do so.

Be sure to catch her brilliance while you can. Mary Kate Gunville, Yarmouth’s Spring Female Athlete of the Year, has come up big so many times that you have to believe she’ll produce a memorable final act.

Coach Dorothy Holt’s comment: “Mary Kate carries us and keeps us in every game. She makes huge, huge saves for us. We’re blessed to have her. It’s a tough role but I love how she keeps her head in the game. She takes care of all of us. She never buckles back there.” 

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Previous winners:

2015 Mari Cooper (softball)

2014 Grace O’Donnell (lacrosse)

2013 Grace O’Donnell (lacrosse)

2012 Hannah Potter (tennis)

2011 Danielle Torres (lacrosse)

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2010 Danielle Torres (lacrosse)

2009 Haley Knaub (track)

2008 Nicole Grover (lacrosse)

2007 Laurie Baker (lacrosse)

2006 Emily Johnson (lacrosse)

2005 Chrissie Attura (lacrosse)

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2004 Louise Taylor (tennis)

2003 Louise Taylor (tennis)

2002 Christine Clancy (tennis)

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

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