Waynflete girls stun NYA in double-OT

YARMOUTH—Waynflete’s girls’ soccer team overcame a lot Friday afternoon at Lewis Field.

And the Flyers accomplished even more against rival/powerhouse North Yarmouth Academy.

Waynflete, coming off three straight losses and having to go up against a four-time reigning state champion which was riding a 46-game unbeaten streak, didn’t get the calls it hoped for during the course of the game and with just under 20 minutes to play in regulation, the Panthers were awarded a penalty kick.

Which Flyers sophomore goalkeeper Ayla Stutzman stopped cold.

Stutzman made a few more huge saves as well as regulation wound down and the game would go to overtime, scoreless.

After a first five-minute, “sudden victory” OT session didn’t produce a winner, the game went to the second and final overtime and there, Waynflete earned its biggest regular season victory in years, as senior standout Lucy Hart sent the ball on frame and classmate Morgan Earls was there to bang in the rebound to produce an unforgettable 1-0 victory.

The Flyers improved to 5-4, beat NYA for the first time since 2019, handed the Panthers their first loss in any game since 2020 and in the process, dropped NYA to 6-1-2 on the year.

“There’s a long history between us (and NYA),” said Carrie Earls, who is Morgan Earls’ mother, as well as Waynflete’s co-coach, along with George Sherry. “Their sports are great, our sports are great. They’ve just had one-up on us in (soccer, basketball and lacrosse) the past few years, but we got this one and it feels good.”

First of three?

For the past several seasons, NYA competed in (and absolutely dominated) Class D, while Waynflete has been a regular in Class C.

This fall, the Panthers have moved up and for the first time since 2015, the longtime rivals are in the same class and they could be on a collision course come playoff time.

But first things first.

NYA opened with a 5-0 victory at Sacopee Valley and settled for a scoreless draw at Freeport (in a game in which only a half was played due to the lights not coming on). The Panthers then dispatched host Lake Region (3-2), visiting Old Orchard Beach (5-0), visiting Gray-New Gloucester (3-0), host St. Dom’s (2-0) and visiting Traip Academy (3-0) before settling for a 1-1 home tie against Class B South power Greely Tuesday afternoon.

Waynflete, meanwhile, started with home wins over Traip Academy (2-1) and Hall-Dale (3-0). After a 4-1 home loss to Greely, the Flyers earned a 2-1 overtime win at York and blanked visiting Old Orchard Beach (8-0). Waynflete then lost at reigning Class B champion Yarmouth (3-2), at Freeport (2-1) and at St. Dom’s (2-0).

Last year, the Panthers won both meetings, 4-3 at home and 3-0 in Portland.

Friday, on its Homecoming, in front of a big crowd on a pleasant afternoon (62 degrees at kickoff), NYA looked to extend its win streak in the series to seven, but instead, Waynflete solved the Panthers for the first time since a 1-0 home triumph back on Oct. 3, 2019.

It took awhile, however, for the Flyers to taste victory.

Waynflete senior Lucy Hart chases after the ball as North Yarmouth Academy junior Lyla Casey tries to keep up. The Flyers won a thriller in double-overtime, 1-0. Hoffer photos.

Not much happened in the first half, as each team managed to put just one shot on frame.

NYA got a couple corner kicks in the first two minutes, but on the first, senior Graca Bila’s shot was blocked and the second was cleared by the Waynflete defense.

After freshman Natasha Godrey missed wide for the Panthers, Hart set up junior Lydia Birknes in the box with a nice pass and Birknes was tripped up, but no call was made.

Later in the half, Morgan Earls made contact with a defender in the box and again, no foul was called.

With 3:55 left, off a corner kick, the Flyers managed their first shot, but freshman Naomi Rice’s bid was blocked by NYA senior goalkeeper Sarah Moore.

With 1:23 on the clock, NYA put its first shot on frame, but a long bid from freshman Caroline Matusovich was saved by Stutzman.

Waynflete earned a corner as time wound down, but couldn’t generate a shot and it was on the second half.

Where the action picked up, even if the scoring didn’t.

NYA junior Ella Giguere keeps the ball away from Waynflete senior Lucy Hart.

In the first minute, Moore barely beat Birknes to a ball in the box.

Seconds later, Hart won the ball and managed to put a shot on frame, but Moore made the stop.

After junior Toree St. Hilaire missed just wide for the Panthers, sophomore Grace Alexander served in a free kick for the Flyers and freshman Paige Alexander floated a shot on target, but again, Moore made the save.

After senior Hayden Wienckowski missed just wide for NYA, a rush by Waynflete senior Izzy Gleason again resulted in contact in the box and again, it was play on.

With 19:33 remaining in regulation, the Panthers appeared to get the break they needed, as Matusovich was fouled in the box and a penalty kick was awarded.

Giguere did the honors and she fired low to Stutzman’s left, but Stutzman guessed correctly, dove and made a game-changing save.

NYA junior Ella Giguere lines up a penalty kick midway through the second half. Waynflete sophomore goalie Ayla Stutzman would make the save to keep the game scoreless.

“For some reason, I kind of knew where the shot was going and I knew what to do,” Stutzman said. “I didn’t overthink it and just went for it. It felt great.”

“I was so nervous, but I had a feeling Ayla would make that save,” Morgan Earls said.

“It’s so great to have Ayla back,” Carrie Earls said. “(Senior) Leah (Noone) has been fantastic for us. This was Ayla’s first full game in net for us and what a time for it. I knew that if she went the right way, she’d get to it. She’s one of the most athletic goalies in the state of Maine. She’s only a sophomore and she’s only going to get better.”

Despite the disappointment of not taking the lead, NYA kept the pressure on and Stutzman had to sprawl to rob Matusovich, off a feed from Bila, then she dove to make a stop on a left-footed bid from junior Emily Robbins.

After Hart, who was shaken up but stayed in the game, missed a pair of shots, Stutzman saved a long free kick from Giguere.

In the final moments of the second half, a Giguere corner kick serve found junior Lyla Casey at the far post, but she booted the ball just wide, a shot from Flyers sophomore Lucy Olsen was saved and a Hart rush was broken up by Giguere.

After a five minute break, the teams returned to the field for overtime and neither team could register a shot in the first five-minute session.

Moore came out to break up a pass from junior Fallon Culley to Birknes, Stutzman fell on a cross from Matusovich, Moore beat Earls on a feed from Olsen and Giguere stopped a rush from Hart.

With a tie appearing imminent, Waynflete had other ideas in the second OT.

The winning goal came after an NYA turnover. Hart won the ball on the right side, dribbled around a defender, then launched a shot on frame. Moore got to the ball, but didn’t field it cleanly and the rebound fell to Earls, who, with 3:03 on the clock, banged it home to give the Flyers a 1-0 victory.

“Lucy is such a good dribbler and I honestly thought she had that shot,” Earls said. “The goalie got a hand on it. Thankfully, I was right there and I got it in. It was kind of a gift.”

“We always tell them to just put something on, it doesn’t always to be pretty, but Lucy’s ball was pretty,” Carrie Earls said. “Morgan was in the right place at the right time. We always tell the girls to not let the ball go past the back post. She was the outside midfielder and she did her job.”

At 5:51 p.m., Waynflete had finally solved its nemesis and a wild celebration ensued.

Waynflete rushes the field to celebrate Morgan Earls’ game-winning goal.

“We’ve been working so hard just bonding together,” Morgan Earls said. “It’s all come together. It was a crazy celebration. Time stopped for a minute. I was so happy. I was looking for the first person to hug.”

“It’s the best feeling,” said Stutzman. “It’s been awhile since we got a win against (NYA).”

“This says a lot for us,” added Carrie Earls. “We have a lot of freshmen and underclassmen on the team. This shows we’re mentally ready. We took a harder schedule this year and it will serve us well in the long run. St. Dom’s was an especially difficult loss. We were down on ourselves, but I thought we played a solid 80-plus minutes today. The girls were confident.”

Each team put six shots on frame. Stutzman saved all six shots she faced.

“To be able to save those shots was just amazing,” said Stutzman. “The pressure really fuels me in games. I turn it into focus.”

The Flyers had a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.

Waynflete coach Carrie Earls hugs her daughter, Morgan Earls, right, and other players following the victory.

NYA got five saves from Moore, but tasted defeat for the first time in over 1,000 days.

“We had opportunities, we just couldn’t finish it up,” lamented Panthers coach Ricky Doyon. “Their keeper made a huge save. We were a little sloppy and it created an opportunity for them. I knew it would be competitive. Knowing what we have this year and what they have. Lucy didn’t have an opportunity a whole lot, so she had to incorporate her teammates. The girls did a good job on her. There weren’t a lot of chances. We couldn’t make that finishing pass in the final third. We’d never lost on this field since they laid the new turf down a few years ago.”

Finishing kick

The teams meet again in the regular season finale, Oct. 17 in Portland, but both squads have plenty of heavy lifting to do first.

NYA continues its tough stretch by hosting Yarmouth Tuesday of next week and Morse two days later. The Panthers then finish on the road, at Traip Academy, Monmouth Academy and Waynflete.

“I can’t wait to play (Waynflete) again and I think we’ll see them in the playoffs too,” Doyon said. “I’d rather a loss happen now. This will push the girls. (Yarmouth) will be another tough game.”

Waynflete has three more road games to come, at Gray-New Gloucester Saturday, then at Fryeburg Academy and Traip Academy, before finishing at home versus Sacopee Valley and NYA.

“I think we just need to focus on being a team, staying organized and making the right passes,” Stutzman said.

“This proves we’re able to meet the challenge,” Morgan Earls said. “We’ve had some struggles this season, but beating NYA shows our hard work has paid off.”

“We know we see (NYA) again at home,” Carrie Earls added. “We turn around and play Gray tomorrow in their Homecoming game. They’re a big Class B, physical team. We’ll be short-handed. It takes everybody and it’ll take everybody tomorrow.

“We’ll enjoy this one for now.”