WINDHAM — When the Gorham girls’ soccer team led Windham by two goals in the second half of Wednesday night’s battle of undefeated teams, the Rams knew better than to celebrate prematurely.
After all, the Eagles had climbed out of this hole two weeks earlier when they came back to tie Cheverus 3-3.
But Gorham – the defending Class A South champion – remained composed until the end to earn a 3-1 victory.
Gorham improved to 11-0-1 and remained on top of the standings while Windham fell to 8-1-3.
“It was one of those games where we knew we had to come to play,” Gorham Coach Jeanne Zarrilli said. “All season, we hadn’t necessarily put together 80 minutes. Tonight, I thought – for the first time – we really did.”
Tiril Wiig led the Rams’ offense with a pair of goals – one in each half. Emma Forgues also scored for Gorham while Hallie Shiers contributed two assists.
“We were fighting all the way, and we played really good in both halves instead of just one,” said Wiig. “It was a tough game, but I think we deserved to win.”
Windham Coach Deb Lebel agreed.
“They were the better team tonight,” Lebel said. “They probably just played their best game of the season right there.”
However, for the first 15 minutes, the teams appeared evenly matched, with the ball shifting back and forth across the field. Wiig gave the Rams the spark they needed with 25 minutes left in the half, weaving through Windham defenders before tucking the ball into the right corner of the goal.
From there, Gorham seemed quicker to the ball, making it hard for Windham to sustain possession. Still, the Eagles managed to create scoring opportunities, and even outshot the Rams 5-4 in the first half.
But Forgues cushioned Gorham’s lead before halftime, adding a goal off a Shiers assist with 1:10 left.
Windham’s Maggie Symonds nearly answered 30 seconds later, firing a hard shot into the arms of Gorham goalkeeper Emma Smith, who finished with six saves.
Windham goalie Kaitlyn Roberts totaled three.
The Rams didn’t let up, opening the second half with two shots in the first two minutes.
“They marked one-and-one, so we had to run off them and play together,” Wiig said. “At halftime, we talked about just keep on fighting and winning air balls and playing to our wings.”
While Gorham outshot Windham 7-4 in the second half, it remained anyone’s game until the end.
Emily Kent capitalized on a penalty kick from 20 yards out to put the Eagles on the board with 21:29 left. Her shot sailed over defenders’ heads and arced out of Smith’s reach into the back of the net.
Five minutes later, the Eagles nearly tied it when Hannah Kaplan headed another Windham penalty kick into Gorham’s goal. But the score was called back, as Kaplan was ruled offside.
“We stayed relaxed and kept our composure,” Zarrilli said. “Windham is a classy team, and they don’t back down. They’re not going to give up, so there is no time to catch our breath.”
With 15 minutes remaining, Wiig converted a Shiers pass into an insurance goal.
“These kids didn’t give up, and they played with a lot of heart until the end,” Lebel said. “It’s a great game to have before the playoffs. It shows you where you are and gives you a couple things to work on.”
As for the Rams, they had something to celebrate:
“We’re still in first place,” Wiig said with a smile. “It feels really good.”
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