Patriot Kaelyn Woods hashed a scavenger’s goal – swooping in to snatch up a loose ball – against Freeport Thursday afternoon, giving Gray-New Gloucester the edge it needed to down the Falcons, 2-1.

The Patriots’ road win bumps them to 2-3 in 2014. Freeport, meanwhile, slips to 1-4. With roughly one-third of the season now behind them, the teams are 12th and 13th in B West, respectively.

“Both teams played very hard, and both teams played two days ago,” said Patriots head coach Kiaran McCormack. “When we’re able to transition to offense quickly, we’re able to capitalize on our chances.”

While the Falcons generated much of the offensive pressure in the match, they simply couldn’t capitalize: G-NG’s backs, not to mention their stalwart keeper, Zoe Adams, proved too much protection.

“As a team, we’re not going to concede a lot of goals over the course of the season,” McCormack said, proud of his defenders.

For their part, the Patriots struggled to manufacture attack chances. Those they managed, however, they took advantage of. Emma Woods – Kaelyn’s younger sister – opened the scoring early in the first half.

“Emma’s been scoring pretty regularly for us now,” said McCormack. “I believe this is her sixth goal of the season. She’s a young player, freshman. She has the ability to shoot with accuracy and height.”

The elder Woods added her goal just about five minutes into the second, after Freeport minder Izzy Qualls charged from the net to interrupt a G-NG breakaway. Tangled up with her immediate threat, Qualls couldn’t get back in position when the ball squirted loose. Woods dashed in for the quick shot and easy tally, 2-0.

The Falcons finally took flight with seven minutes to play, when Julia Smith earned an inelegant – but hard-fought and well-deserved – goal after managing to emerge upright from a collision with Adams, who hit the deck. Smith hacked the ball to the back of the net for 2-1 and resurgent Freeport hopes.

All too soon, though, the horn sounded their defeat.

G-NG’s next challenge is second-place York (3-1-1), whom they welcome on the 25th at 6 p.m. The Falcons travel to 10th-ranked Fryeburg (1-2-2) on Tuesday for a 4 p.m. showdown.

Freeport’s Elizabeth Martin and GNG’s Anisa Hayman push off one another in pursuit of the ball.Zoe Adams launches the ball away from the GNG goal.Patriot Sarah Giggey and Falcon Samantha Jordan collide near the sidelines.Emily Johnson dribbles upfield for the Falcons at home against Gray-New Gloucester Thursday. Despite a heavy Freeport offense, the Patriots emerged victorious, 2-0.

Copy the Story Link