Scarborough’s Lana Djuranovic, the SMAA Offensive Player of the Year, takes a shot after a miscommunication between Gorham defenders during their regular-season game on Sept. 30. Scarborough won, 1-0. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
The southern Maine girls’ soccer regional finals might need to be renamed Rivalry Week. In classes A, B and C, each game features a pair of opponents quite familiar with one another.
It begins at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Kennebunk High, where No. 1 Scarborough (15-1) takes on No. 2 Gorham (13-1-2) in a rematch of last season’s Class A South regional final.
At 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Class B South final is a match between the two programs that have dominated the region for a decade: No. 1 Yarmouth (14-1-1) meets No. 2 Cape Elizabeth (14-2) at Deering High. Also at 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Class C South final features Western Maine Conference rivals, No. 1 North Yarmouth Academy (12-1-3) against No. 3 Waynflete (11-5) at Lewiston High.
When Scarborough and Gorham met in the regional final last season, both were undefeated after missing each other on the regular-season schedule. This season, they played on Sept. 30, a 1-0 Scarborough win. The Red Storm have allowed just six goals all season, three coming in their lone loss to Thornton Academy on Sept. 18.
Gorham Coach Jeanne Zarrilli compared Scarborough to Windham, the team Gorham defeated 2-1 on penalty kicks in the semifinals last week to advance to the regional final. Scarborough is the defending Class A state champion, and Gorham is after its first regional championship since 2016.
“Scarborough is very disciplined,” Zarrilli said. “They’re physically strong and capable and highly skilled. I’d say there’s no weaknesses.”
The Red Storm are led by senior midfielder Lana Djuranovic, the SMAA Offensive Player of the Year. Djuranovic, who will continue her soccer career next year at the University of Miami, has four goals in two playoff games. Junior Delia Fravert is another offensive weapon for Scarborough, and seniors Natalie Ryan and Ava Pettingill lead the defense.
Gorham’s defense, led by SMAA Defensive Player of the Year Bailey Hatch, will be tested, but that’s nothing new for the Rams. Each of their playoff wins were decided late. Julia Reed’s goal with 12 seconds left gave Gorham a 3-2 win over Sanford, and last week’s win over Windham came down to penalty kicks after the Rams rallied late in regulation to tie the game.
“We’ve shown a tremendous resiliency and fight. We’ve learned we have that in us when things get tough,” Zarrilli said.
Scarborough Coach Mike Farley said every game against Gorham is viewed by both teams as a measuring stick game. Farley noted that in the run of the game when they met in the regular season, it was 0-0, and his team was fortunate to score on a set play – Djuranovic scored on a free kick in the second half.
In Class B South, either Yarmouth or Cape Elizabeth has won eight of the last nine Class B South championships, and one or the other has won every state title since 2016. Yarmouth beat Cape Elizabeth twice in the regular season, 1-0 on Sept. 14 and 2-0 on Oct. 17.
“Yarmouth is organized and poses threats in many different areas,” said Branden Noltkamper, Cape Elizabeth’s first-year coach. “Both teams are so evenly matched and we bring out the best in each other.”
Yarmouth Coach Andy Higgins said he and Noltkamper are good friends, having coached alongside each other with the Maine Lightning soccer club. The two talk nearly every week, Higgins said.
“Both our games (against Cape) could’ve easily gone either way. These are two teams that know each other really well,” Higgins said.
The Capers are led by sophomore Noelle Mallory, who has 20 goals and 10 assists. CC Duryee (10 goals, three assists), Evelyn Agronida (seven goals, 10 assists) and Haley Gorman (eight goals, five assists) are also scoring threats. For Yarmouth, Aine Powers has 13 goals and 10 assists. Taylor Oranellas and Sonja Bell each have six goals. Goalie Regan Sullivan has played in 10 shutouts for the Clippers, splitting some with backup Avery Buchanan.
Yarmouth’s Kadin Davoren gets tangled up between Cape Elizabeth’s Noelle Mallory, left, and Evelyn Agronida during their Oct. 17 game. The Clippers beat Cape twice during the regular season. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer
Waynflete and NYA split a pair of regular-season games. The Flyers gave NYA its only loss of the regular season, 1-0 in double overtime, on Sept. 29. The Panthers took a 2-1 win over Waynflete on Oct. 17 in the regular-season finale.
“We’re excited to be playing NYA for a third time,” Waynflete Coach Carrie Earls said. “With each team earning a victory in the regular season, both teams were kind of hoping it would end up this way.”
NYA is coming off a dominant run in Class D, where the Panthers won the last four state championships. Waynflete is looking for its first regional crown since 2016. For NYA, the move up to Class C hasn’t been a big adjustment, as the Panthers have often played against conference rivals in Class B and C.
“We’re moving the ball well. We’re reading the game. Now that we’re going into our 17th game, they get it. The trust is there. They push each other,” NYA Coach Ricky Doyon said.
Lyla Casey is the Panthers’ hottest offensive player, with 11 goals in the last five games. For the Flyers, Lucy Hart has 20 goals and four assists, and Morgan Earls has 10 goals and six assists.
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