Who is going to step up and be the next Red Eddies goaltender? 

That was the question that Edward Little coach Jessica Somers and her staff had to answer before the team’s season-opener against Oxford Hills. Somers said she all but had the entire team — a roster of 34 — try their hand at goalie during tryouts. 

That’s where she found her answer: Mariah Vaillancourt. 

“The first thing is she isn’t afraid of anything,” Somers said. “She’s very mentally tough and physically tough out there and she has extremely quick reflexes. She was very, very coachable. Any type of directions we gave her, any type of feedback she always took it to heart and just tried so hard and was always giving her all and trying to better herself.” 

The goaltending position isn’t anything new for Vaillancourt, who spent part of the fall season as the girls’ soccer netminder. However, the sport of lacrosse is a completely new venture for the sophomore. Until this season, Vaillancourt had never played lacrosse in a competitive setting. 

“I’m a goalie in soccer so I know that I know part of the angles and reaction time so  I figured I might as well try it out and step up,” Vaillancourt said.  

The differences between being a soccer goalie and lacrosse goalie are obvious — smaller net, smaller ball, less reaction time — but the biggest adjustment has been getting comfortable with the goalie stick. 

“It’s pretty heavy,” Vaillancourt said. “It’s a lot bigger head so it’s easier to catch and it sometimes saves you by shots hitting around the stick. I’ve actually had quite a few saves with the shaft also. It’s actually helped me a lot.” 

She got her first taste of the game at the high school level against Oxford Hills in which she made nine saves in a 6-4 loss. Vaillancourt’s made at least eight saves in her first six contests this season. 

Aside from 13-goal outpourings from Windham and unbeaten Messalonskee, who average 11.9 and 11.4 goals per game, respectively, this season, the Red Eddies haven’t allowed more than eight goals in a game. 

“I’m just trying to keep as many balls out of the net as possible whether I get my shoulder or body in front of it,” Vaillancourt said. “I know it’s a high-scoring game, but I try to keep it as low as possible.” 

Vaillancourt’s made her fair share of saves with the body. She said she has the bruises on her thighs and shoulders to prove it. 

Her biggest performance came against Windham on Saturday when she made a career-high 17 saves. Vaillancourt notched her first win as a lacrosse goaltender against Cony on Tuesday, stopping 13 shots in a 7-5 victory. Vaillancourt has made 77  saves through seven games.

“She is so mentally tough out there, which you have to be,” Somers said. “Lacrosse is not a low-scoring game at times. No matter what happens on the field, she does not ever give up. She gives everything and she works really hard for this team and she has such a positive attitude and great outlook. She’s just an amazing addition to this team and will be a great leader throughout the next few years.” 

Vaillancourt said she feels she’s made the biggest improvement when it comes to stopping the bounce shot, something she doesn’t see as a soccer goaltender. 

“You never know if they’re going to bounce one way or the other way with our field because they are so many bumps,” Vaillancourt said. “That’s definitely one of the things I’ve learned is to manage is stop the bounce shots.” 

From the start of practice in April through the first seven games of the season, Somers said that Vaillancourt continues to show remarkable improvement. 

“She went from not being able to stop a ball or throw with one of those sticks to being one of the best goalies we’ve ever had on our team and it’s quite impressive how quick she’s picking it up,” Somers said. “Even against high-caliber teams, she’s doing an amazing job making the stops that she makes. She’s really start to think the game and understand the game a lot more. It’s amazing.” 

Helping her at times with the transition to being a goalie in a sport where a netminder faces a number of shots per game is Savannah Shaw, who knows a thing or two about making high-pressure saves. Vaillancourt said the Leavitt/Edward Little/Poland hockey goaltender helps her with the mental aspect of the game. 

“She says that sometimes I’m hard on myself when they score on me,” Vaillancourt said, “but she says, ‘In hockey you have to stay confident and be able to have the team count on you.’ She helps me keep my head and keep going because my team needs me to stay in the game and keep going.” 

Vaillancourt’s and Shaw’s roles have been reversed from their time on the ice. Instead of scoring goals, Vaillancourt’s main objective is to stop as many potential goals as possible. Shaw is now the one putting the ball in the net as a midfielder. Vaillancourt does get her opportunity to do the same with the JV team, where she, too, plays the midfield position. 

Somers said she hopes Vaillancourt decides to stick with being Edward Little’s goalie for the rest of her high school career because her presence in net has had a noticeable impact on the scoreboard. She just may get her wish as Vaillancourt said she sees herself sticking with it for the next couple years.