Freeport – Since Freeport and Yarmouth played to a 1-1 tie back in September, ending Yarmouth’s 26-game winning streak, one figured with the score tied 1-1 and less than 20 seconds remaining in the second half, Friday evening’s contest would go to extra time as well.

That all changed when Yarmouth’s Eric LaBrie pushed the ball to the back of the net with 10 seconds remaining for a 2-1 victory over the Falcons in Western Maine Conference boys soccer action.

Yarmouth remained unbeaten at 11-0-1, while Freeport fell to 7-3-2 in front of a capacity crowd at Joan Benoit Samuelson Track and Field.

“What a game, that was the best game of the year,” Yarmouth coach Mike Hagerty said. “That’s a good team right there.”

The win almost assures Yarmouth, winners of the last four Class B State Championships, the top seed in the upcoming Class B South playoffs, while Freeport competes with Cape Elizabeth for the second and third spots.

“It was a tough game for us, our boys played hard until the end, I’m proud of them,” Freeport coach Bob Strong said.

Before the last-second heroics, the two teams played over 39 minutes of fast-paced, aggressive, back-and-forth soccer.

Yarmouth controlled the pace in the opening half, not necessarily putting a lot of shots on or around the net, but rather possessing the ball, limiting Freeport’s opportunities. The Clippers nearly scored at the 14-minute mark when Jack Jones was able to get a foot on a loose ball in front of Freeport keeper Atticus Patrick, but the blast hit the crossbar and the game remained scoreless.

“They dictated the flow of the first half,” Strong said. “The boys respected their style of soccer they play.”

However, five minutes later, William Dickinson beat Patrick with an unassisted tally to give the visitors the lead.

The score stayed at 1-0 entering the halftime break. Yarmouth put three shots on goal to Freeport’s one in the opening frame.

Freeport opened the second half playing with a little more urgency, keeping the ball on the offensive side of the field.

“We knew at halftime they play the ball with their backs trying to move the ball to the forwards,” Hagerty said. “So we got out of it (playing up) in the second half. We need  the ball in the midfield.”

“It wasn’t personnel, I think we played with a little more urgency, more purpose,” said Strong of his team’s change of play in the final 40 minutes. “I’m happy with the way we played in the second half.”

At 13:30, Freeport struck gold after a Yarmouth defender cleared the ball that was handled by Eriksen Shea at the 40-yard line. After a few dribbles, the Freeport senior blasted a shot on goal that Yarmouth goalie Spencer King did not handle cleanly and the ball slipped in to tie the score.

“Great individual effort, he has a nose for the goal,” Strong said. “It’s just his sheer grit, it was an Eriksen goal.”

Meanwhile, the Freeport defense was coming up big. Senior Shea Wagner kept causing troubles for Yarmouth’s LaBrie, as he was matched up with the goal-scorer throughout the game.

“Day in and day out he does what’s asked of him,” Strong said of Wagner. “Tonight he was marking LaBrie and did a tremendous job, he works end line to end line.”

With under eight minutes remaining, LaBrie, who scored Yarmouth’s lone goal in the Sept. 11 match, broke free, pulling Patrick out of the net. But Labrie was unable to convert as Patrick beat him to the ball and smothered it.

As the clock ticked down the final minutes of the half, each team played for that final goal, hoping to avoid overtime.

Following a goal kick with about 20-seconds remaining, Jones possessed the ball at midfield and passed it up the field. Both LaBrie and Patrick sped for the ball near the 18-yard line, but this time it was LaBrie who won the ball and tapped it past the keeper for the game-winner.

“He’s a good finisher,” Patrick said. “I’ve been playing against him since middle school so I know what to expect and I try my best.”

“He had done that before on me so I knew I had to beat him to the ball,” LaBrie said. “It was a big win because it’s tough games like these that make us better.”

“Eric’s one of the best striker’s in the state,” Hagerty said. “We knew it was a matter of time before he scored. He’s always triple teamed, but finds a way. We always have a chance with him.”

Patrick finished with four saves, while King also turned away four for the Clippers.

Yarmouth hosts Gray-New Gloucester on Tuesday and closes out the regular season at home with Waynflete on Thursday.

Freeport also plays its final two games at home. Tuesday against Fryeburg Academy (6 p.m.) and Friday at 4 p.m. against Cape Elizabeth.

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