Northern: Early postseason action promising for local squads

While cross country took center stage with its regional meet last weekend (see story), the postseason is just getting started in most of the other fall sports.

By the end of this week, we’ll be down to a select few teams.

Here’s a glimpse at where things stand:

Volleyball

Yarmouth’s Ella Cameron serves up one of her seven first set aces in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Falmouth. Michael Hoffer / The Forecaster

Yarmouth’s volleyball team, the four-time reigning Class B state champion, finished second in the state-wide Heal Points standings after closing the regular season with a straight-set victory (25-17, 26-24, 25-16) at Cape Elizabeth last Tuesday. Saturday, the Clippers hosted No. 7 Falmouth in the quarterfinals.

The Navigators, who swept No. 10 Lake Region, 3-0, in the state preliminary round last Thursday, were the last team to beat Yarmouth in the postseason (rallying from two sets down to prevail, 3-2, in the 2017 state semifinals), but this time around, the Clippers would carry the day.

Yarmouth waltzed to a 25-11 victory in the first set, thanks to a 10-point service run from Ella Cameron, which included seven aces. Not surprisingly, the Navigators made things much tougher in a second game which featured 14 ties, but an ace from Lillian Burrows put the Clippers ahead to stay and Grace Keaney’s kill punctuated a 25-22 win. Falmouth held a lead for much of the third set, but Yarmouth wouldn’t be denied. A kill from Annie Vinnakota put the Clippers in front for good, she added two more to get her team close, then the Navigators couldn’t return the ball and Yarmouth took the game, 25-19, and the match, 3-0.

The Clippers beat Falmouth for the first time ever in the postseason, improved to 12-3 with their 10th consecutive victory and 13th straight postseason win and advanced to host No. 3 Messalonskee (15-0) in the state semifinals Wednesday at 7 p.m.

“All of us in the program, we have not experienced losing a state championship and I see no reason to start doing that this year,” said Vinnakota, who finished with a dozen kills and four service points. “I think the difference was our energy at the end. We all wanted to win and we had a supportive attitude. We knew we had to take big swings and be brave, but you need to have the team supporting you to do that. That supportive, aggressive energy made the difference. It’s a different group. I’m the only returning starter, but I think we’ve gotten into our groove.”

“We went into the third set knowing Falmouth would come out strong,” said Catherine Balzano, Yarmouth’s junior varsity coach, who was filling in for head coach Erin Quirk, who was away at a wedding. “Their swinging and defense showed up, but our girls were consistent to keep it back and forth and not let them go on a scoring run. I was a little nervous going in today because it’s my first season at Yarmouth, but I’m happy it was successful.”

The Clippers didn’t face Messalonskee this season and the teams have no playoff history.

“I think our team just thrives on energy, so we just need to keep playing our game, hitting hard and playing defense aggressively,” said Vinnakota.

“I think it’s great that we get to stay on this court,” Balzano said. “The girls are ready and determined to keep going.”

In its loss at Yarmouth, Falmouth was paced by Erin Andrews, who had nine kills, six blocks and three service points, as the Navigators finished the year 10-6.

“We got knocked down a couple times and came back, so I’m proud,” Navigators coach Larry Nichols said. “It’s been a great team to coach. I’m not surprised the girls came back, that’s why I’ve loved being with them this year. I think it was as simple as (Yarmouth’s) serves and our service errors. We got the timing on the blocks down as the match went on, but they’re a great offensive team. They pound the ball, but we stopped them and that gave us momentum. There were some great rallies there. We’ll hang our hat on that. The (offensive) changes we made this week could have backfired, but the kids stepped up. I wish we could have gotten the offensive system down sooner. I think it would have made a difference with our tough schedule. As this match went on, we became more of a threat. That’s a credit to the kids who stepped up.”

Graduation will take its toll on the program, but Falmouth, which will remain in Class B in 2024, will be a top contender again next fall.

“We’ve got nine seniors, but we’re excited about next year with the kids we have coming up,” Nichols said.

Greely, ranked fourth in Class B after closing the regular season with a four set (25-22, 17-25, 26-24, 27-25) win at Gray-New Gloucester in the regular season finale last Tuesday, ousted No. 13 Mt. Desert Island in four games (25-13, 10-25, 25-19, 25-15) in last Thursday’s state preliminary round. Molly Mulligan had 11 kills and two aces, Annabelle Talley had five kills and two aces and Alyssa Hilbert added 10 digs. Saturday, the Rangers hosted No. 5 Kennebunk in the quarterfinals and advanced in three sets.

Greely started slowly in the first set, but settled in and thanks to an ace from Hilbers, eked out a 25-23 victory. The Rams led most of the way in the second game as they hoped to draw even, but the Rangers closed on a 9-3 surge and when Ella Leding’s kill produced a 25-23 victory, Greely had a 2-0 advantage in the match. Instead of allowing Kennebunk to make things interesting in the third game, the Rangers won the first seven points and never looked back and rolled to a 25-15 victory to prevail, 3-0.

Mulligan led the way with 10 kills as Greely improved to 12-4 and set up a state semifinal round date at top-ranked Washington Academy (15-0) Wednesday at 5 p.m.

“I’m super-excited,” Mulligan said. “We’ve worked really hard for this. It was big to get that big lead in the third set. We felt like we could bring it home and we just went from there. I was so excited on that last point.”

“It feels amazing,” said Rangers coach Autumn Vargo. “I set a goal at the beginning of the season for us to get to the semis. I wanted it so badly for the girls and they did it.”

Greely did not play Washington Academy this season and the teams have never met in the postseason.

“We just have to keep working together and playing a team game,” said Mulligan. “I think we can do it.”

“We just have to keep the momentum and the mental toughness,” Vargo said. “We have to persevere on every point and dig in. I’m so excited.”

The Class B state match is Friday at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham. It’s possible Greely and Yarmouth could square off. The Clippers won the teams’ regular season meeting in straight sets. The Rangers have won two of three prior playoff encounters.

North Yarmouth Academy ended up 1-13 after a 3-0 loss at Lake Region in last week’s finale. The Panthers finished 10th in Class C, but only eight teams made the playoffs.

Boys’ soccer

Falmouth’s Hayden Davis plays the ball along the sideline during Friday’s victory over Westbrook in the Class A South preliminary round. Michael Hoffer / The Forecaster

All five local boys’ soccer teams entertained title hopes at press time.

Yarmouth, the three-time reigning state champion, had its 12-game win streak snapped in the regular season finale last Monday, but its 12-2 record gave it the top seed for the Class B South playoffs. The Clippers hosted No. 8 Fryeburg Academy (11-4) Tuesday in the quarterfinals. The teams didn’t play during the regular season. Yarmouth was 7-1 all-time versus the Raiders in the playoffs, with a 1-0 victory in last year’s semifinals the most recent.

Greely finished 9-4-1 and fifth in Class B South after closing with a 9-1 victory at Wells last Tuesday. The Rangers go to No. 4 York (8-5-1) Wednesday at 6 p.m. for the quarterfinals. The teams split during the regular season, with Greely winning at home, 2-0, Sept. 28 and the Wildcats earning a home victory five days later, 2-1. The Rangers have won all three previous playoff meetings versus York, with a 1-0 win in the 2019 semifinals the most recent.

If Yarmouth and Greely both advance, they’ll meet in the semifinals Saturday in Yarmouth at a time to be announced. The Rangers blanked the visiting Clippers, 2-0, back on Sept. 1, then Yarmouth won at home, 1-0, Sept. 23. The Clippers have taken four of the seven previous playoff meetings, including a 5-1 victory in the 2019 regional final, the most recent.

Freeport wound up sixth in Class B South after a 7-4-3 campaign. The Falcons visit No. 3 Lincoln Academy (10-1-3) Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the quarterfinals. On Sept. 29, Freeport beat the host Eagles, 1-0, in double-overtime. The Falcons are 2-1 all-time in the playoff series, with a 3-1 win in the 2016 quarterfinals the most recent.

If Freeport advances, it will go to No. 2 Cape Elizabeth (9-4-1) or host No. 7 Morse (6-5-4) in the semifinals Saturday.

The Class B South Final is Wednesday of next week at Deering High School in Portland. The state game is Saturday, Nov. 4 in Topsham.

In Class A South, Falmouth closed the regular season last Tuesday with a 3-0 home win over Sanford, as Michael Christman scored twice and Ian Christie added a goal. The Navigators earned the No. 7 seed and eliminated No. 10 Westbrook, 4-1, in Friday’s preliminary round. Christman scored three times in the first half and Evan Mayo put it away late as Falmouth improved to 9-4-2.

“This means a lot,” said Christman. “We knew Westbrook’s a team that was being slept on. They put up a good fight. We didn’t take them lightly.”

“It’s a young team,” said longtime Navigators coach Dave Halligan. “We wanted to make the tournament and gain experience. We did that and we’re playing well right now. We might not have the best players, but we’re playing well as a team.”

Falmouth goes to No. 2 Gorham (12-1-1) for the quarterfinals Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Back on Sept. 5, the Navigators lost at the Rams, 4-1. The teams split two prior playoff meetings, with Falmouth’s 2-1 victory in the 2019 Class A South Final the most recent.

“Gorham’s got everything to lose and we have nothing to lose,” Christman said. “We’re a completely different team now then last time, so we’re hoping for the best.”

“We’ll do what we can to try and be successful,” Halligan said. “(Gorham’s) a big, strong, veteran team that’s had a great season, but we’ll show up and compete. The pressure’s all on them.”

If the Navigators spring an upset, they’ll visit No. 3 Deering (9-3-2) or No. 6 Kennebunk (9-4-2) Saturday in the semifinals.

The Class A South Final is Tuesday of next week in Kennebunk. The Class A state game is Saturday, Nov. 4 at Messalonskee High School in Oakland.

NYA, which won Class D a year ago, then moved up in class this fall, finished the regular season 3-11 after a 1-0 home loss to Waynflete last Tuesday in the regular season finale. The Panthers earned the final playoff seed in Class C South and play at top-ranked Mt. Abram (14-0) in the quarterfinals Wednesday at 5 p.m. The teams didn’t meet this year. NYA won two of three prior playoff encounters, with a 5-0 victory in the 2011 preliminary round the most recent.

If the Panthers spring an upset, they’ll play at No. 4 Waynflete (7-5-2) or No. 5 Lisbon (3-10-1) in the semifinals Friday or Saturday.

The Class C South Final is Wednesday of next week in Lewiston. The state game is Saturday, Nov. 4 in Topsham.

Girls’ soccer

Yarmouth’s Aine Powers leaps into Taylor Oranellas’ arms after scoring one of her two goals in a regular season-ending victory at Cape Elizabeth last week. Ben McCanna / Portland Press Herald

On the girls’ side, reigning state champion Yarmouth played a postseason-like game in its regular season finale last Tuesday at Cape Elizabeth. With the top seed for the Class B South tournament at stake, the Clippers got two goals from Aine Powers and 10 saves, including a sensational diving stop, from goalkeeper Regan Sullivan, as they prevailed, 2-0, to finish 12-1-1.

“This says a lot about our team,” said Powers. “A lot of people on the outside didn’t really expect much from us this year just because we lost so many great players, but we’ve stepped up and everyone’s capitalized on the abilities they have and we’ve worked really well together. It’s shown on the field.”

“I knew everyone would count us out after losing such a strong class,” Sullivan said. “I knew people thought we wouldn’t be as good, but we’ve had so many people step up this year. We love coming out and playing against a talented team like Cape. They make us better and it’s entertaining for everyone. I love these high-energy games. It’s great to have a game like this going into playoffs.”

“(Cape’s) such a good team, one of the best around,” Clippers coach Andy Higgins added. “They present a lot of challenges. They’re a great program. It’s a fun rivalry. I’m proud of how the kids stepped up. They competed. Once we got our feet under us, we played well. They had us on our heels for awhile and we bent and didn’t break. It was a total team effort. Regan had a great game, our defensive group had a tough challenge and rose to it, our midfielders played hard and our front runners put pressure on. It was fun to see.”

Yarmouth hosted No. 8 Morse (6-9) in the quarterfinals Tuesday. The teams didn’t meet this year and had no playoff history. If the Clippers advanced, they’ll host No. 4 Freeport (7-4-3) or No. 5 Lake Region (9-3-2) in the semifinals Saturday.

“I’m ready and I think the team is pumped up,” said Powers. “Everybody wants the same goal. Even with a target on our back, if we keep playing like we’re playing, I think we have a pretty good chance.”

“We’ve had a tough schedule,” Higgins added. “We’ve been tested day-in, day-out and now the tests get a little bit tougher with more at stake. I’m glad to be going into it with this group.”

Freeport hosted Lake Region in its quarterfinal Tuesday. The teams didn’t play this fall and had no playoff history.

If the Clippers and Falcons square off in the semifinals, it will be their third game this fall. Yarmouth won both during the regular season, 1-0 Sept. 26 in Freeport and 2-0 Oct. 10 in Yarmouth. The Clippers have won four of five prior playoff meetings, with a 2-0 victory in last year’s quarterfinals the most recent.

Greely closed last Tuesday with an 8-0 home win over Wells to move into the No. 3 spot in Class B South. Lily Pierce scored three goals, Shaylee O’Grady added a pair and Avery Bush, Jackie Franklin and Abby Lennox finished with one apiece. The Rangers (7-5-2) hosted No. 6 York (6-6-2) in the quarterfinals Tuesday. The Wildcats twice beat Greely this year by 2-1 scores. The Rangers won three of five prior playoff meetings, but last year, York eliminated Greely in the quarterfinals, 2-1.

If the Rangers advance, they’ll either visit No. 2 Cape Elizabeth (12-2) or host No. 7 Wells (8-5-2) in the semifinals Saturday.

The Class B South Final is Wednesday of next week at Deering High School in Portland. The state game is Saturday, Nov. 4 in Topsham.

In Class A South, Falmouth, the No. 6 seed, blanked No. 11 Portland, 2-0, in last Friday’s preliminary round, as Mallory Kerr scored in the first half and Hadley Perry added a second half goal. Eve Gallacher and her defensive teammates held the potent Bulldogs at bay.

“This means a lot,” Kerr said. “It’s the first step.”

“We played as a team,” said senior back and captain Eve Gallacher. “I think we did a really good job overall. I’m proud of us.”

“We found our stride again and connected on a few things,” added Navigators coach Ben Johnson. “I think we can still play better, but we’ll take it. We talked about what they like to do, we pressed them hard and won the ball and tried to go forward.”

Falmouth (10-3-2) advanced to take on No. 3 Windham (10-3-1) in the quarterfinals Tuesday. The Navigators won the teams’ regular season meeting, 3-1, Sept. 18 at home. The Eagles won the lone prior playoff encounter, 1-0, in the 2017 Class A South preliminary round.

“I’m excited for the challenge,” said Gallacher. “I didn’t get to play the first time. Hopefully I can add some extra strength in the back line and we can secure another clean sheet.”

“We beat (Windham) in the regular season, but we know we have to step up our level of play,” Kerr said. “We’ll stay focused in practice and get absolutely hyped to go to their home turf. We just talked that business isn’t done yet. No one is satisfied.”

“We still have a lot to prove,” Johnson added. “Windham is going to want us after we beat them. We have a hard road. We know we have potential, but we can’t play anything less than our best game. Windham’s a program that wins every year for a reason.”

If the Navigators were able to pull off the shocker, they’d go to No. 2 Gorham (11-1-2) or host No. 7 Sanford (10-4-1) in Saturday’s semifinal round.

The Class A South Final is Tuesday of next week in Kennebunk. The state game is Saturday, Nov. 4 at Messalonskee High School in Oakland.

NYA, which won the past four Class D state championships and moved up in class this fall, is the top seed for the Class C South playoffs after capping a 10-1-3 regular season last Tuesday with a 2-1 victory at rival Waynflete. The Panthers avenged their lone loss thanks to two goals from Lyla Casey.

“Coach (Ricky Doyon) tells me to just kick the ball and trust my instincts, so I just looked and hit it,” Casey said.

“We’ve hyped ourselves up all week,” said defensive standout Ella Giguere, who attended Waynflete in grade school. “Personally, it feels great. I have a lot of connections here and it feels good to beat them. There’s definitely a rivalry. It’s a good win.”

“The motivation was there,” added Doyon. “That was our first loss in three years. It wasn’t fun, but we needed a taste of that. The girls were ready to go today.”

NYA hosted No. 8 Sacopee Valley (2-11-1) Tuesday in the quarterfinals. The Panthers opened with a 5-0 win at the Hawks Aug. 31. NYA won the only prior playoff encounter, 6-0, in the 2000 quarterfinals.

“We just need to stay focused and stay strong and keep playing like we’re playing,” said Giguere.

“We prepared ourselves for this,” Doyon said. “We have something to prove. Even losing eight seniors, we have a quality team. It’s time to do our thing.”

If, as expected, the Panthers advance to the semifinals, they’ll host either No. 4 Hall-Dale (10-4) or No. 5 Monmouth Academy (8-5-1) Friday or Saturday.

The Class C South Final is Wednesday of next week in Lewiston. The state game is Saturday, Nov. 4 in Topsham.

Field hockey

Sydney Gelhar and her Freeport field hockey teams hope to return to the Class B state final. File photo

The field hockey postseason is also underway.

In Class B South, Yarmouth earned the top seed after a 12-1-1 campaign, which was capped by a 5-0 home win over St. Dom’s in last Tuesday’s regular season finale. Sophie Smith and Celia Zinman had two goals apiece and Erica O’Connor also rattled the cage.

The Clippers host No. 8 Wells (5-9) Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the quarterfinals. Yarmouth blanked the visiting Warriors, 9-0, Sept. 5. The teams have no playoff history.

If, as expected, the Clippers advance, they’ll host either No. 4 York (7-5-2) or No. 5 Cape Elizabeth (8-5-1) Saturday in the semifinals.

Freeport, the reigning Class B South champion, ended up 10-3-1 and second and hosted No. 7 Greely (7-7) in the quarterfinals Tuesday. The Falcons twice beat the Rangers this year, 6-1 Sept. 19 in Cumberland and 7-0 at home Oct. 4. Freeport won the lone prior playoff encounter, 1-0, in the 2013 Western B preliminary round.

The Freeport-Greely winner faces either No. 3 Lake Region (8-4-2) or No. 6 Gray-New Gloucester-NYA (7-5-2) in Saturday’s semifinals.

In Class A South, Falmouth finished 8-5-1 and fifth after closing with a 6-0 loss at Gorham last week. The Navigators go to No. 4 Scarborough (8-6) for the quarterfinals Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The Red Storm beat host Falmouth, 2-0, Oct. 11, and have won two of three prior playoff meetings, although the most recent went to Falmouth, 1-0, in the 2019 preliminary round.

If the Navigators move on to Saturday’s semifinals, they’ll play at top-ranked, reigning regional champion Cheverus (14-0). Falmouth lost at home to the Stags, 4-0, Oct. 9. Cheverus has eliminated the Navigators from the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, 7-0 in the 2021 semifinals and 9-0 in last year’s quarterfinals.

The Class A South and Class B South Finals will be contested Wednesday of next week in Fryeburg. The state games will be held Saturday, Nov. 4 in Lewiston.

Football

Yarmouth and Greely’s football teams began the week one away from an eight-man, large division South Region Final showdown. File photo.

Yarmouth and Greely’s football teams were idle last weekend and will host semifinals in the eight-man large division South region this weekend.

The Clippers, the reigning state champions, won six of seven regular season games to earn the top seed and welcome No. 4 Brunswick (5-3) Friday at 7 p.m. Yarmouth beat the visiting Dragons, 64-20, in the regular season finale, Oct. 13. The teams have no playoff history.

Greely won its final three regular season games, wound up 4-3 and finished second in the region. The Rangers host No. 3 Mt. Ararat (5-3) Friday at 6 p.m. On Sept. 22, the Eagles eked out a 34-28 win at Greely. The teams have no playoff history.

In Class D South, Freeport fell to 2-6 after a 6-3 home loss to Cape Elizabeth in last Friday’s regular season finale. Rosie Panenka’s 25-yard field goal accounted for the Falcons’ points. Freeport, which has dropped six straight, finished fifth in the region and goes to No. 4 Poland (4-4) for the quarterfinals Friday. The Falcons lost, 22-2, at home to the Knights Sept. 22. Freeport won the lone prior playoff meeting, 27-7, two years ago in the quarterfinals.

Falmouth finished its season on a high note, beating host Skowhegan, 27-8, last Friday to wind up 2-6. The Navigators finished fifth in Class B North, but are ineligible for the playoffs due to a forfeit loss to Portland earlier this season.

“We started the season with 32 players and ended with 29 players, including only two seniors and four juniors,” said longtime Falmouth coach John Fitzsimmons. “Our starting lineup consisted of eight first-time varsity sophomore players. I talked in the preseason about how we would be a dangerous team in the playoffs as the season progressed and these young players gained more experience. Half of that prediction was correct. In the second half of the season, we won two games and lost two very competitive games. The decision to forfeit the game against Portland due to not having enough healthy players put us at odds with MPA policy, making us ineligible for postseason games. The decision to forfeit was correct and unanimously endorsed by coaches and players. We put the safety of our players before any athletic contest.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the players and my coaching staff. We worked through the challenges of the first half of the season and became a better team in the second half. In the last game of the season, we played at our best, dominating Skowhegan. Part of the joy of coaching is seeing a group of individuals become a cohesive unit who unite with a common goal to play at their highest level. We played for the regional championship in 2022 and plan on returning to that level for our 2024 season. It will all start in January in the weight room.”