CAPE ELIZABETH — Senior Cat Johnson characterizes her Waynflete squad as an example of progression.
“This team is constantly progressing,” Johnson said. “There have been some dips, but if you look at the next game after (those dips), you see nothing but progression. That’s the flavor of this team.”
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The Flyers fashioned lessons learned over a recent two-game losing streak into an impressive 10-5 victory over Cape Elizabeth in a Western Class B regular-season finale Friday night at Hannaford Field.
The win sends Waynflete into the Western Class B tournament as the No. 2 seed. The Flyers (8-4) earned a bye into the semifinals, where they’ll play the winner of a quarterfinal between No. 3 Cape Elizabeth (8-4) and No. 6 Falmouth.
The victory also extended Waynflete’s winning streak over Cape Elizabeth to 24 games. The Capers last won in 2002.
Waynflete, the reigning Class B state champion, lost 7-6 in overtime on May 31 to defending Eastern Class B champion Yarmouth. Six days later, defending Class A state champion Cheverus knocked off the Flyers with a goal in the final seconds for a 10-9 win. Both Yarmouth and Cheverus enter their regional tournaments as No. 1 seeds.
“We really just came together today,” senior midfielder Sophia Canning said. “We definitely wanted this game, and we showed that and left it all on the field.”
Waynflete has recovered nicely from a 1-2 start.
“This is a completely different team than we were at the start of the season,” said Leigh Fernandez, who led the Flyers with five goals, including a fluky goal with 5:04 left in the first half that turned out to be the winner.
From about the 12-meter line, Fernandez sent the ball toward Sophia Canning, who was cutting across the goal mouth. The ball missed Canning but beat goalie Kate Bosworth (four saves) to push the Flyers’ lead to 6-3.
“I was looking for Sophia; it was a bad pass,” Fernandez said. “Kate’s an amazing goalie. I don’t know how that went in.”
Johnson continued her torrid scoring pace of recent weeks with three goals, plus two assists, which came in startling fashion. From her perch behind the Capers’ cage, she saw through smothering defending to find a cutting Fernandez at the post twice in the second half.
“I just see what Leigh and Sophia are going to do,” Johnson said. “And I try to get the ball to them.”
Charlotte Majercik made seven saves for the Flyers.
“Every game, Charlotte has been really solid,” Waynflete Coach Cathie Connors said. “She had huge saves today, and that was the difference, for sure.”
Evidence of Cape’s offensive pressure: Three of the Capers’ five goals came off free positions. Hard-charging center mid Abby McInerney scored three goals and Elizabeth Robinson had two. Maisie Perkins had two assists.
Cape Elizabeth Coach Jeff Perkins saw a lot to like in the performance of his team, which lost high-scoring midfielder Hannah Newhall to injury earlier this season.
“(Our players) felt good,” Perkins said. “They executed, and some shots went in and some didn’t. They had a lot of good opportunities. Maybe this will help them believe a little more in themselves.”
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