HAMPDEN — After playing dead even for 110 minutes, Cape Elizabeth outdueled Waterville in penalty kicks to pull out a 2-1 win in the Class B girls’ soccer state championship game Saturday at Weatherbee Field.
The Capers converted all four of their penalty kicks, and Mary Perkins stopped one of the Panthers’ attempts as Cape Elizabeth claim its first gold ball since winning the Class A title in 1999.
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Penalty kicks were needed to decide the outcome after the teams played to a 1-1 tie through 80 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime.
“It was a wonderful game,” Cape Elizabeth Coach Craig Fannen said. “It was definitely one for the neutrals. It was just a really, really good game from two teams that fought hard for it, and I was glad we were a part of it.”
“Nobody hates losing more than I do, but I couldn’t be any more prouder of our girls,” Waterville Coach Ian Wilson said. “I think we were heavy underdogs coming into the game. I think a lot of people automatically felt the southern Maine team was going to come here and win the state title, and we came awfully close.
“I’m really proud of the effort the girls gave tonight.”
Cape Elizabeth’s Katherine Breed opened the scoring 14 minutes into the game. She pushed the ball past keeper Fotini Shanos after winning a battle with a defender as both ran onto a long pass into the penalty area from Kathryn Clark. It was the fifth goal of the playoffs for Breed, a sophomore forward.
It took the Panthers less than a minute to score the equalizer. Lydia Roy made it 1-1 when she moved into the right side of the penalty area after a long run up the middle before slotting the ball inside the far post for her 46th goal of the season.
“We made a midfield adjustment, because in seeing Cape we saw a team that played with three center mids,” Wilson said. “They were very, very strong in the center, so we tried to make some adjustments to defensively slow them down through the middle.
“At the end of the day, we were even through regulation and overtime. When that stuff happens in PKs, it’s a heartbreaking way to lose.”
Clark, Phoebe Shields, Elizabeth Raftice and Breed put in penalty kicks for the Capers (15-2-1).
Pilar Elias and Colleen O’Donnell converted penalty kicks for Waterville (16-2). One of the Panthers’ shots went wide, and Perkins batted one shot away.
“As my coach says, ‘Just pick a side and go for it, and if you get the right side, good for you,’ ” Perkins said of her save. “I thought I hit (the ball) and it went into the goal. Then I saw it behind the goal.”
Perkins made three saves before penalty kicks, and Shanos finished with five saves.
“We were expected to do well, but at the beginning of the season we weren’t connecting.” Clark said. “We had some good ideas but we weren’t effectively finishing goals and we weren’t passing right to their feet.
“It’s just been progress throughout the entire season, and during the playoffs we finally stepped it up.”
Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at:
pbetit@pressherald.com
Twitter: PaulBetitPPH
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