WELLS — For two minutes late in a tie game Wednesday against Fryeburg Academy, the Wells High boys’ lacrosse team had possession in its offensive zone but came up empty.

Unfazed, midfielder Riley Dempsey intercepted a pass near midfield on the Raiders’ attempt to transition to offense, then found Courtland Austin near the goal.

Austin scored with 2:10 remaining – his third goal of the game – and the Warriors held on for a 10-9 victory.

Wells (5-1) defeated the Raiders (3-3) for the second time in a week.

“There is something amazing about Dempsey. … He can run up and down the field as many times as he needs to,” said Evan Whitten, who led the Warriors with four goals after scoring eight in the previous game against Fryeburg.

“If he’s told he needs to get it done, he will run up and down the field for you. And (Austin), he’s got a real good shot. He was wide open when (Dempsey) got him the ball and it worked out.”

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Fryeburg had a chance to tie the game when it got possession with a little more than a minute remaining.

Caleb Bowles, who finished with one goal and one assist, drove to the net but Shawn Ouellette of the Warriors knocked the ball free.

Wells picked up the ball and ran out the clock.

In the 12-10 triumph against Fryeburg on May 3, the Warriors used a 5-2 advantage in the fourth quarter to complete a comeback.

The two wins over the Raiders is a trend that Wells Coach Don Whitten hasn’t seen from this group.

“I just think this team has persevered and has figured out over the last three years since we’ve been together how to finish,” Whitten said.

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“That’s one of the things we weren’t good at. We would be in a close game and manage to give it away at the end. This team finally has put it together and finishes (strong), and comes up with these big wins.”

Fryeburg led 5-2 early in the second quarter but Wells got within 5-4 at halftime. After Caleb Eklund (3 goals, 2 assists) scored 35 seconds into the third quarter to give the Raiders a two-goal cushion, the Warriors scored four straight for their first lead since the opening two minutes.

Ethan Marsh (2 goals, 1 assist) started the run, with Whitten then putting in three straight in less than five minutes for an 8-6 lead.

“I felt I had to step up,” Whitten said. “And as a captain I felt I had to play to my potential. The guys gave me the passes I needed and I got it done.”

Another captain, goalie Sean McCormack-Kuhman, kept the Warriors in the game in the second quarter, when he made nine of his 17 saves.

“(Their goalie) in the second quarter was a huge difference,” Fryeburg Coach Matt Haley said. “He’s a big guy and takes up a lot of the net. We hit him a couple times and other times … he’s quick for a big guy. To try to get a ball past him, it’s not easy.”

Wells defender Charlie Clough also scored. He picked up a ground ball in his defensive zone and ran the length of the field before unleashing a shot that was initially stopped by goalie Yukon King (9 saves).

Gunnar Gurnis put in two goals for the Raiders.


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