Bangor goalkeeper George Payne said he couldn’t have scripted a better ending to the Class A boys’ soccer state championship game Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

After 80 minutes of regulation and two 15-minute overtimes, Gorham and Bangor remained tied 1-1 and the title came down to penalty kicks. Payne stopped Gorham’s first two attempts and Bangor captured the shootout, 4-1.

“It was incredibly nerve-wracking,” Payne said. “Everything we’ve worked for for three months was on the line.”

Payne’s saves earned Bangor its first state title since 2010 when it beat Portland, 3-2.

“George is just a composed kid,” Bangor Coach Garth Berenyi said. “Those are not easy saves. Those were good quality saves.”

After winning its first regional championship since 1983, Gorham ended its season 16-1-1.

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“It’s a tough outcome,” Gorham Coach Tim King said. “We knew coming in it was going to be a really difficult game between two evenly matched teams, and I think that’s exactly what you saw.”

Jackson Fotter scored Gorham’s only goal – his 36th of the season. Josh Sherwood found the back of the net for Bangor.

The game was back-and-forth from start to finish. Bangor had a 6-3 edge on shots in the first half and nearly scored 14 minutes into the game. Gorham keeper Alex York tipped a shot headed for the right corner of the net and the ball bounced off the goalpost.

The goals by Fotter and Sherwood came in the first three minutes of the second half.

Ethan Orach set up the game’s first goal, dribbling the ball into the right corner before crossing it to Fotter, who put it in to give Gorham a 1-0 lead just 1:38 into the half.

“That was a sensational shot (into) the side net,” King said. “That’s why, in my opinion, he’s the best player in the state.”

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Bangor didn’t get rattled. The Rams answered less than a minute later when Sherwood headed in a Carson Atherley free kick.

“It was a beautiful ball from Carson Atherley,” Sherwood said.

“As a team we’re very good at staying composed.”

With less than a minute remaining in regulation, York kept Gorham’s chances alive by tipping two Bangor shots over the crossbar.

“He’s a great leader for our team and he’s worked hard to become a really good goalie,” King said of York.

“He made some really great saves for us (and) he’s had a sensational season.”

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York finished with 11 saves while Payne recorded seven saves.

In the second overtime, Fotter nearly won it but his shot bounced off Bangor’s goalpost before a defender kicked it over the touch line.

In the shootout, Garth Berenyi, Carson Atherley, Jack Bourassa and Kyle Jeffrey scored for Bangor, and Kyle King scored on Gorham’s third attempt after the first two shooters were denied by Payne.

“Their keeper made some nice saves and that was it,” King said.

“It was an even game. It went as far as it could go and we didn’t come out on top.

“I felt like my kids left it all on the field. It just wasn’t enough tonight.”


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