Camden Minotti, left, of Marshwood and Iain Clendening of Brunswick battle for control. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
BRUNSWICK — The Brunswick boys and girls soccer teams came to Massabesic High School in Waterboro on Saturday seeking Class A titles.
They left short-handed.
Windham capped off a perfect season with a 3-1 victory over the Dragons in the girls game. The Brunswick boys fell to Marshwood, 2-1, in stunning fashion when Connor Sullivan scored in the final two minutes to break the draw.
“We rose to the occasion on Saturday much like we had done all season but came up short late,” said Brunswick (14-4-1) boys head coach Mark Roma. “It’s unfortunate it didn’t go our way; credit to Marshwood, they played a fantastic game.”
The Brunswick girls ran into a juggernaut in the Eagles (19-0-0), who capped their undefeated season with a dominant showing over the Dragons (15-3-0).
Both Brunswick teams reached the state games after winning big games on the road in the Class A North playoffs. The boys, seeded fifth, topped No. 1 Lewiston, No. 2 Camden Hills and No. 4 Bangor. The Brunswick girls won at No. 2 Camden Hills and previously unbeaten No. 1 Bangor.
Alexis Morin of Brunswick tries to get past Abbey Thornton of Windham during the second half of the Class A girls’ soccer state championship game in Waterboro on Saturday. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
“This team was so resilient, that’s something I’ll take away when I look back and reflect on this season,” said Roma on Monday. “There were times during the season where we were so down with a ton of injuries and the whole thing could’ve gone another direction. The kids refused to allow it to go that direction, they raised their effort level and game when we were down and fought until the end.”
It was a heartbreaking ending for the Brunswick boys. After grabbing an early lead on a Luke Patterson first-half goal, the Dragons played with a lead for a majority of the contest. Marshwood tied it up when Rowan Carter scored with just over 22 minutes left. Sullivan’s stunning strike with just over two minutes to go sealed it for the Hawks.
“I think they kind of wore us down in the end,” said Roma. “By the time they (Marshwood) scored the game-winner, we were pretty gassed.”
Things weren’t as dramatic in the girls game.
Stella Jarvais of Windham steps in to win the ball from Alexis Morin of Brunswick during the Class A girls’ soccer state championship game in Waterboro on Saturday. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Abbey Thornton and Sarah Talon of Windham scored in the first half to give the Eagles a comfortable 2-0 lead. Thornton added another one in the final minute of the first half.
Brunswick got a goal from Logan Brown on a free-kick in the second half, but the early deficit was too much for the Dragons to overcome.
“The second half was phenomenal. We came out and battled,” said Brunswick head coach Martyn Davison on Saturday following the loss. “If we’d gotten one (a goal) earlier, we might have made a game of it.”
Portland Press Herald staff writer Steve Craig contributed to this story.
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