CAPE ELIZABETH – Cape Elizabeth fell behind Scarborough to start the second half Friday evening, but built a late-game comeback on goals by Abby McInerney and Talley Perkins, ultimately regaining the lead and securing a 10-8 victory.

Scarborough drops to 4-3 on the season, while Cape Elizabeth improves to 5-2.

“I think they really just dug deep,” Cape Elizabeth head coach Jeff Perkins said, after the game. “It’s hard. We played last night … and playing again, you could see they were getting tired towards the end, but they just kind of dug deep and did what they had to do.”

“We always preach: just leave it all on the field,” Scarborough head coach Marcia Wood said. “So win, lose or draw, I’m happy if you left it all on the field.”

Cape assembled an early lead, going up 6-3 on strong performances by Lauren Steidl and Hannah Newhall. As the clock wound towards the half, Scarborough managed one more goal before the buzzer sounded. It foreshadowed a resurgence to come, but in the meantime, they retreated to their end of field, down 6-4.

To start the second half, the Red Storm scored quickly, with Jess Meader needing just 62 seconds to bring her team within one. Just 62 seconds after that, Kaitlin Prince put the tying goal in the back of the Capers’ net. The score stood 6-6, and the momentum had shifted dramatically.

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Barely another minute passed before Ainsley Jamieson managed to snatch the lead for Scarborough, but then the scoring died down. Several minutes elapsed, both teams relying on defense, until Bailey Adams slipped one in, putting the Red Storm on top, 8-6.

Asked how the Red Storm managed to claw their way back into the game, Wood said, “Going into the game, I just think – not that my girls weren’t confident – I don’t know if they really believed in themselves enough that they could really do this. And then, once you got one goal, it was like, OK, we can do this, just start pecking away, one goal at a time.

“They really started to get some confidence. Winning the draw controls was huge, so I think once they started…possessing the ball a little bit more, they got that confidence. We can do this, we can keep playing with them, we can hang with them.”

Adams’ goal would be Scarborough’s last of the game, however. With just over 13 minutes to play, Perkins notched her second for Cape, this one on a penalty shot, and the Capers were back within one. Abby McInerney spoke up for the first time in the game less than a minute later, evening the score all over again.

Perkins couldn’t put his finger on what allowed his squad to recover. “I wish I knew,” he said. “I’d love to have that recipe every time that happens … Some games, it comes out, and some games, it doesn’t … As much a cliche? as it is, if the ball bounces in the right stick and you get possession, that’s what helps.”

“They rebounded well,” Perkins said. “When it got to be 8-8, that’s the time when the wheels could come off. They’re tired and it could’ve been done and I’m very proud of them. They stayed together and pulled it out.”

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The score stayed even for six taut minutes, until Perkins gave Cape the go-ahead goal, 9-8. From there, they cruised to victory, with Perkins adding an icing-on-the-cake goal with just nine seconds to play.

Asked who came up big Friday night, Perkins praised the team’s combined effort. “Everybody was touching the ball,” he said. “That to me is the best way to win.”

“We came off a tough overtime loss last night, playing back-to-back’s never easy, so for them come back like that and to keep the game close…I’m just super proud of how they played.”

Scarborough has three days off before hosting Thornton Academy on Tuesday at 6. Cape Elizabeth gets two days’ rest, then travels to Waynflete on Monday at 4.

Melissa Rudburg of Cape Elizabeth looks to break out of her team’s end of the field against Scarborough Friday evening.
Cape Elizabeth’s Abby McInerney charges through Scarborough traffic Friday evening.
Red Storm goalie Meg Kirsch looks for the pass against Cape Elizabeth Friday evening.
Scarborough’s Maiti Kent charges upfield, pursued by Caper Jane Coffrin.
Scarborough’s Ainsley Jamieson controls the ball, looking to duck around Cape Elizabeth defenders and approach their goal.
Cape Elizabeth’s Talley Perkins looks for the pass Friday evening.


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