YARMOUTH—After chasing all afternoon, it appeared that North Yarmouth Academy’s boys’ lacrosse team had the visiting Wells Warriors right where the Panthers wanted them when they finally took the lead early in the fourth period Tuesday at Lewis Field.
But instead, they awakened the Warriors.
Who promptly scored six straight goals.
To seize control, pull away and earn a statement-making, early-season victory.
The first half saw both teams struggle to score, as Wells senior Hayden Bedell and NYA junior James Brogan-Provencher traded goals in the first period before senior Eli Steere scored the only goal of the second quarter to make it 2-1 Warriors at halftime.
In the third period, junior Ethan Brochu scored to pull the Panthers even and after Wells went back on top on a goal from senior Gavyn Petrie (remember that name), freshman Gavin Thomas struck again for NYA and it was 3-3 heading to the fourth quarter.
There, a little over two minutes in, senior Wyatt Thomas gave the Panthers the lead, but after junior Nathan Bolduc tied it for the Warriors, Petrie scored with just over 5 minutes left to put Wells ahead to stay, then after Steere added a goal, Petrie scored three more to help the Warriors pull away for a 9-4 victory.
Petrie scored five goals as Wells won its fifth game in a row, improved to 5-1, dropped the Panthers to 3-2 and beat NYA for just the second time in program history.
“I’m speechless, it’s a great feeling,” Petrie said. “It’s just another step forward to a championship.”
Wells has arrived
NYA beat Wells twice in close games last spring, 5-3 on the road in the regular season and 8-7 in the Class C state semifinals, as the Panthers erased a late deficit and won it on a goal from then-junior Brayden Warde with just 1:01 remaining.
This year, both squads are chasing two-time champion Waynflete.
The Warriors opened with a 6-4 loss at Waynflete, then defeated Fryeburg Academy (13-0), Mt. Ararat (15-1), Freeport (11-8) and Noble/Sanford (15-7).
The Panthers handled visiting Maranacook in their opener (17-2) and after a 13-9 home loss to Class A power South Portland, beat visiting Gray-New Gloucester (15-2) and host Gardiner (8-6).
Tuesday, on a raw afternoon (50 degrees) with light rain falling, goals were at a premium most of the way until Wells finally got its offense at the optimal time.
North Yarmouth Academy senior Wyatt Thomas defends Wells senior Griffin Brickett during the Warriors’ 9-4 win Tuesday. Hoffer photos.
Both goalies stood tall early, as NYA senior Jack Curtis denied Steele, senior Griffin Brickett and Bolduc, while Wells sophomore Riley Murphy saved shots from Gavin Thomas and junior Grey Perham.
Finally, with 3:16 left in the first quarter, Petrie set up Bedell on the doorstep and after a nice fake, Bedell sent the ball into the net to open the scoring.
The Panthers answered with 1:55 to go, as sophomore Zach Leinwand set up Brogan-Provencher for the equalizer.
Early in the second period, NYA looked to take the lead, but Perham was denied by Murphy and it couldn’t generate a shot while playing man-up.
With 4:38 left in the half, senior Brody Maxon set up Steere to put Wells back in front and the Warriors clung to a 2-1 edge at the break.
The Panthers drew even with 8:23 to go in the third quarter, as Brochu beat Murphy through a screen.
After Murphy kept the game deadlocked by saving shots from senior Jonah Donnelly, Perham and senior Nolan Pecora and Leinwand hit the post, Petrie scored unassisted with 3:43 showing, bouncing a shot off Curtis and in to put Wells on top for the third time, 3-2.
Again, NYA responded, as after Brogan-Provencher hit the post and Leinwand was robbed on the rebound, Gavin Thomas spun and finished unassisted to make it 3-3 heading to the final stanza.
There, the Panthers took the lead for the first and what proved to be the only time, as Wyatt Thomas bounced a low shot past Murphy and into the net with 9:37 to play.
But just when it appeared NYA was primed to take control, instead, the Warriors responded in dizzying fashion.
First, Steere set up Bolduc for the tying goal with 8:04 on the clock.
Then, after a Brickett bounce shot hit the crossbar, Wells got out in transition and Brickett set up Petrie for the go-ahead strike with 5:06 to play.
Steere added an unassisted goal with 4:15 remaining, then Petrie did the rest.
With 3:31 to go, Petrie finished a feed from Bolduc to make it 7-4.
With 55.6 seconds showing, Petrie bulled his way through the defense and beat Curtis to end any lingering doubt.
“Gavyn is excellent,” said NYA coach Peter Gerrity. “If he gets an inch, he’ll go off.”
Then, with 8.8 seconds remaining, Petrie once more proved unstoppable, finishing unassisted to slam the door on a 9-4 victory.
Wells rushes the field following Tuesday’s victory.
“We came in here fueled up after losing in the last few seconds last year,” Petrie said. “We just got energized.”
Petrie led the way with five goals, four coming in the game’s final five-plus minutes, and also had an assist. Steere added two goals, while Bedell and Bolduc had one apiece.
Bolduc, Brickett, Maxon and Steere also had an assist.
Murphy made seven saves.
Brickett won 11 of 17 faceoffs.
Wells had a 30-29 edge in ground balls (Brickett had a game-high eight), a 29-26 advantage in shots (15-11 on cage) and overcame 25 turnovers.
NYA only managed four goals and didn’t have a single player who tallied more than one, as Brochu, Brogan-Provencher, Gavin Thomas and Wyatt Thomas all tickled the twine once.
Leinwand had an assist.
Curtis made six saves.
Seniors Seamus Rohde and Alex Wignall tied for team-high honors with five ground balls apiece.
“We expected it would be another tight game, another battle,” said Gerrity. “It didn’t feel like the bounces went our way. We were pretty frustrated with ourselves. We had a lot of chances. We’d like to be in a position where one or two posts won’t affect the outcome. Obviously, we wanted to be on the other side of the score, but it’s great to have several teams in the mix in Class C this year.”
Building momentum
Wells is home this weekend to take on Gray-New Gloucester/Poland Friday and Biddeford Saturday.
“We’ll just keep showing up and putting in work,” Petrie said.
NYA’s slate remains daunting, as it goes to York Friday, then welcomes Greely Monday before visiting Freeport Wednesday of next week.
“It won’t get any easier,” Gerrity said. “We want tough games. It’s going to be fun.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.
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