CAPE ELIZABETH — Cape Elizabeth girls’ soccer coach Graham Forsyth doesn’t think his squad is very good on free kicks and doesn’t agree that the Capers are the team to beat in Class B South.

His players appear determined to prove him wrong.

The Capers, the three-time defending Class B state champions, squandered a halftime lead Saturday against Yarmouth – the team picked by many to supplant Cape Elizabeth this fall. But junior Evelyn Agrodnia buried a long free kick midway through the second half, and the Capers went on to a 2-1 victory in a regular-season opener for both teams.

“I’m very pleased because we didn’t know what to expect,” said Forsyth, whose teams have lost only twice in his four-plus years as Cape Elizabeth’s coach – both to Yarmouth in the regular season. “I’m trying to get the girls to worry about we do, and if we put what we practice into games, we’ll be good enough.”

The Capers carried play in the first half yet led just 1-0 on a goal in the 27th minute, set up by sophomore Heather Campbell and finished by freshman Noelle Mallory.

Yarmouth answered with 26:12 to go in regulation. Macy Gilroy played the ball into the box and it ricocheted off a defender right to Grace Lestage, who beat keeper Ellis Piper (seven saves).

The Clippers played without senior standout Ava Feeley, who was out of town.

Last fall, the Capers squandered a lead and went on to lose at home against Yarmouth. Agrodnia helped make sure that wouldn’t happen again, as her free kick from 40 yards out went over the outstretched arms of Yarmouth keeper Regan Sullivan (six saves) with 19:07 remaining.

“I’ve worked a lot on (free kicks) over the summer and I took a deep breath and tried to go high with it,” said Agrodnia. “I normally would have shot for the corner, but it felt good.”

The Clippers had chances late, but Piper denied Aine Powers and Sonja Bell and Lestage missed wide as Cape’s defense, anchored by senior Juliet Moore, closed out the victory.

“Our mindset is the same as the past few years,” said Moore. “We know we lost a lot of talent, but I think we’re still going to be a good team and do very well.”

Yarmouth Coach Andy Higgins says he hears the hype about his team supplanting Cape Elizabeth, but he’s not buying in just yet.

“There’s a myth that Cape is going to take a step back, but they bring back a lot of good players, they have good young players, and they’re never going to be bad,” Higgins said. “We knew they’d be very good and they’ll be tough to play against, but I feel the way we played today, we’ll be tough, too.”

The teams meet again Oct. 3 in Yarmouth.

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