PORTLAND—This one was personal.

North Yarmouth Academy’s girls’ soccer team has been biding its time, salivating at the chance to face rival Waynflete again ever since the Flyers ended the Panthers’ title reign last November in the Class C South Final.

Saturday at Fore River Fields, NYA got its taste of revenge, but it took more than a half for the Panthers to get their potent offense in gear.

The game entered the second half scoreless, but five minutes in, after being fouled in the box, promising freshman Delphine Daniel buried a penalty kick to put NYA ahead to stay.

The Panthers then put it away with two goals in 41 seconds, as sophomore Natasha Godfrey scored on a rebound with 23:40 remaining and with 22:59 on the clock, senior Ella Giguere buried a long free kick to put the finishing touches on a 3-0 victory.

NYA won its sixth straight game this fall and in the process, dropped Waynflete to 1-2-1.

“When that (final) whistle blew back in November, we were already planning for another shot at them,” said Panthers’ coach Ricky Doyon. “We have two shots this year, maybe three.”

Rivalry renewed

A year ago, Waynflete snapped a six-game, four-year skid in the series with a 1-0 overtime victory at NYA. After the Panthers returned the favor with a 2-1 win at the Flyers, the squads met one final time in the regional final and behind an early goal from Lucy Hart, Waynflete prevailed, 1-0.

The Flyers went on to outlast Fort Kent in penalty kicks, 7-4, to win their first Class C championship in a decade, capping a 13-5 campaign.

NYA, which wound up 12-2-3 last fall, has surged out of the gate in 2024, blanking visiting Sacopee Valley (8-0), holding off visiting Freeport on a late Giguere free kick (3-2), then winning at Old Orchard Beach (7-0), at home over Lake Region (7-0) and at Gray-New Gloucester (6-0).

Waynflete meanwhile, under first-year coach Jesse McDonough, opened with a 6-1 win at Old Orchard Beach, played host Hall-Dale to a 2-2 draw, then Monday, lost at Class B South power Greely, 7-0.

Saturday, on an overcast, 60-degree day, in their home opener, the Flyers had their chances in the first half, but couldn’t break through, then the Panthers took care of business in the second half.

Waynflete sophomore Naomi Rice boots the ball away from North Yarmouth Academy sophomore Caroline Matusovich early in the Panthers’ 3-0 victory Saturday. Hoffer photos.

Both teams had chances early on, but came up empty.

In the fourth minute, Flyers’ sophomore back Audrey Winch broke up a Godfrey rush in the box.

At the other end, Waynflete sophomore Quinn Culley tested NYA senior goalkeeper Sadie Morgan, but was denied.

After Flyers’ freshman goalkeeper Rachel Yordon tipped away a Daniel header, senior Delia Fontana missed high off the ensuing corner kick.

After Morgan came out to break up a feed from Waynflete junior Lucy Olson to sophomore Naomi Rice, Morgan came out to deny Rice.

After senior captain Emily Robbins was just wide for the Panthers, Giguere took a free kick from 30 yards out and uncharacteristically sent it wide.

Late in the half, Flyers’ sophomore back Paige Alexander broke up a Daniel rush in the box and the game went to intermission still scoreless.

NYA would seize control in the second half.

After Robbins sent a free kick wide, Daniel got into the box, but was fouled and with 35:01 to go in regulation, the Panthers were awarded a penalty kick.

Daniel did the honors, stepped to the line and beat Yordon, who dove to her right to no avail, for a 1-0 lead.

NYA freshman Delphine Daniel scores the game’s first goal on a penalty kick.

“I was about to shoot it and I saw someone coming in from my left side and before I knew it, I was on the ground,” said Daniel. “I was really happy (the foul) was called and I was able to take it (the PK). I never really took a PK before. I just stared down the goalie for the run-up. My heart was racing so much. I had to take a deep breath, run in and hit it.

“I’ve been at NYA since I was really young, so I always knew Waynflete was a rival. To come on to the varsity team and play as a freshman is just amazing. The seniors are so calm throughout the game. Their mindset is very clear. That great for me to learn. It’s amazing to work with them.”

Daniel has made her presence felt in the early going and is only going to get better, according to her teammates and coach.

“(Delphine) brings so much energy,” Giguere said. “We love having her (up top). When she’s up there putting pressure on, I feel like it helps the rest of the team. We love her speed. One of my favorite things is playing those long balls and finding her.”

“Del is going to be special,” Doyon said. “We’ll keep working on her with stuff that will help her get even better.”

Daniel nearly scored a second goal a minute later, taking a pass from Fontana and racing in on Yordon, but Yordon made the save.

After Waynflete looked to answer, only to have a rush from sophomore Alexis Turner broken up by Giguere, a corner kick serve from Olson landed untouched in the box.

Yordon kept the Flyers within hailing distance by denying both sophomore Caroline Matusovich on a low rocket and Robbins.

Then, with 23:40 left, NYA got some breathing room, as senior Lyla Casey got free and while her shot was denied by Yordon, the rebound came to Godfrey, who tapped it home to make it 2-0.

Before that goal could even be digested, 41 seconds later, Giguere lined up a free kick from 30-yards away and she struck it perfectly and fired the ball over Yordon and in to make it 3-0.

“I took a similar one a few games ago from further back and did the same thing, head down and I just ripped it,” Giguere said. “I knew I hit it well. It felt good.”

“Ella is unreal,” Doyon said. “As soon as it came off her foot, I knew it was going in, it didn’t matter how good the goalie is. I suspect we’ll get some more of those from her. She can do so well under pressure. Emily can do it as well, just not as deep. Emily doesn’t get the credit. She’s not getting the goals or the assists because she owns the middle. Delia is playing great in the midfield too.”

Waynflete played hard until the final whistle, but Morgan denied Olson on a free kick and Culley missed high.

NYA ran out the clock from there and celebrated its 3-0 victory.

NYA players congratulate senior goalkeeper Sadie Morgan at the final horn.

“We were so excited,” said Giguere, whose older sisters, Arianna and Lydia, were one-time Flyers’ stars. “I know a lot of faces here, so it feels good to beat them. We’ve been looking forward to this game. We were so ready for it. It feels so good to beat (Waynflete) after the upset last year. We knew our goal this year was to come back and beat them. We proved our point.”

“We felt the tide shift toward the start of the second half,” said Daniel. “We figured out our positioning and what went wrong in the first half, fixed it and it turned out amazing.”

“We played OK today,” added Doyon. “It definitely wasn’t our best soccer, but I give Waynflete credit. I knew I had to make a couple adjustments with our forwards. I knew when we won the ball and put pressure on them,, we’d find some through-balls with the speed and talent we have up top. I had a feeling we’d be OK.”

The Panthers doubled up the Flyers in shots on frame, 8-4 and got four saves from Morgan.

Waynflete had a 5-4 edge in corner kicks, but couldn’t break through.

“It was a lot of fun watching the girls play and do the things we’ve been working on and building off,” said McDonough. “The finishing piece wasn’t there and a couple bounces just didn’t go our way.”

Until next time

NYA will host Waynflete Oct. 22, but both squads face their share of challenges in the meantime.

Waynflete hopes to get back on track next week when it hosts a pair of Class B powers, two-time reigning state champion Yarmouth Thursday and York Saturday.

“It’s been fun getting to know the girls,” said McDonough. “They already had a great foundation. It’s been easy to build off that. We have to keep their spirits up that we’re a new team and we won’t be where we were at the end of last season right away. I think we need to get a little more organized defensively, figure out our roles in the midfield and I think we’re close in terms of being able to score, but we have to figure out how to get some more firepower.”

The Panthers are home versus St. Dom’s Tuesday, then welcome Traip Academy next Saturday.

“We can’t take a break,” Giguere said. “This is the game we were looking forward to. We have to continue to push and work hard. We just have to be ready.”

“We have to keep momentum going and work on the little things,” said Doyon. “We still have a lot of work to do but we’re moving in the right direction.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.