The number of survivors has dwindled, but there are some local teams still very much in the title hunt as a huge week dawns.
Cross country (see story) and volleyball wrapped up their seasons Saturday, while field hockey and soccer will crown champions this coming Saturday.
Only football will continue beyond that date.
Here’s a glimpse at what happened during a memorable week, who’s left and what’s to come:
Field hockey
Gray-New Gloucester/NYA’s Abigail Lacombe tries to block a shot by Greely’s Anna Hendry during the Patriots’ 1-0 victory in last week’s Class B South quarterfinal. Russ Dillingham / Sun Journal
As expected, the Freeport and Yarmouth field hockey teams were the last two standing in Class B South, setting up a compelling regional final Wednesday at 7 p.m., at Falmouth High School (see our website for game story).
The Falcons, the reigning state champions and top seed in the region, rolled over No. 8 Lake Region (10-0) in the quarterfinal round, then had to eke out a narrow 2-1 victory over No. 4 York in the semifinals Saturday. Against the Lakers, Emily Groves led the way with three goals, while Liza Flower and Anna Maschino both scored twice and Callie Bourgoin, Sophie Bradford and Lydia Porter rattled the cage once apiece. Flower scored both goals against the Wildcats, including the winner with 11:35 to play. Maddie Kryzak had six saves.
Yarmouth, the No. 2 seed in the region, downed No. 7 Poland (6-1) in its quarterfinal, then blanked No. 3 Gray-New Gloucester/North Yarmouth Academy (4-0) in Saturday’s semifinals. In the win over the Knights, Erica O’Connor scored three times, Maya Nasveschuk added two goals and Gianna LaBella also scored. Against GNG/NYA, Nasveschuk (on a penalty stroke), Sally McGrath, Madison Wiles and Celia Zinman scored one goal apiece.
“We knew they were gonna come out strong,” Zinman said. “I think we really kept up with the momentum with them. Second quarter, we just talked about really spreading ourselves out and speed, that was a big thing for us, and I think we executed so well.”
“It feels awesome to go back to regionals for a second year in a row,” Clippers coach Bre Morrill said. “Our passing game is amazing and that takes teamwork. We don’t have that one standout player, we have 11 of them on the field at once and they know that. We work like a clock and we just get it done.”
Freeport and Yarmouth met just once this year, way back on Sept. 5, when the Falcons rallied for a 2-1 win. O’Connor scored to put the Clippers in front, but two Groves goals were the difference. The teams have seven prior playoff meetings, with Yarmouth winning six of them. Last year, in an epic regional final, Freeport survived, 2-1, in double-overtime, en route to its first crown.
Something has to give Wednesday, as the Falcons have won 24 straight games and the Clippers are coming in on a 15-game win streak.
The Freeport-Yarmouth winner will face either Belfast (15-1) or Leavitt (13-2-1) in the Class B state final Saturday at Edward Little High School in Auburn, at a time to be announced.
The GNG/NYA co-op had a tremendous season and it included a 1-0 quarterfinal round win over No. 6 Greely in last Tuesday’s quarterfinals. Emma Bowden’s goal, from Greta Tod, with 4:22 left was the difference. The Rangers wound up 6-8-1 as goalie Mya Vickerson made five saves.
GNG/NYA then was eliminated by No. 2 Yarmouth, 4-0, to finish the season 13-3.
“We’re very proud, that’s actually what we were just saying to them, that finishing the season 13-3 is something that nobody in this conference or any other conference expected out of this team, especially having such a low-number team,” GNG/NYA coach Julia Leary said. “I am the most proud of this senior class for taking the reins of leadership and really doing a fantastic job teaching our underclassmen how to work as a team, how to work as one, how to keep their heads up, held high in really tough situations.”
In Class A South, Falmouth, ranked sixth, dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision at No. 3 Gorham in last Wednesday’s quarterfinals. Ani Bush scored the goal and Avary Davis made three saves as the Navigators wound up 9-6.
Boys’ soccer
NYA’s Jacob Colaluca tries to keep up with a Waynflete ball-handler during last week’s double-overtime home loss in a Class C South quarterfinal. Hoffer photo.
Greely and Yarmouth’s boys’ soccer teams are on a collision course in the Class B South Final.
The Rangers, ranked first in the region after an undefeated regular season, raced past No. 8 Fryeburg Academy (6-0) in the quarterfinals, then eked out a 3-2 victory over No. 4 Cape Elizabeth in the semifinal round. Against the Raiders, Owen Piesik led the way with three goals, while Asa Giffune, Owen Partridge and Connor Skillin added one apiece. In the win over the Capers, Partridge and Skillin scored for a quick 2-0 lead, but Cape Elizabeth rallied to tie the score. Then, with 11:31 left in regulation, Skillin finished, from Bez Mendelsohn, to allow Greely (15-0-1) to advance.
Yarmouth, the four-time reigning state champion and No. 2 seed, dispatched No. 7 Gray-New Gloucester (3-1) in the quarterfinals, then blanked No. 3 York (6-0) in Saturday’s semifinals to improve to 13-1-2, as its win streak hit nine games. Against the Patriots, Zacarias Binda, George Brown and Luis Cardoso all scored once. In the win over the Wildcats, Binda, Brown, Cardoso, Lucas Hayner, Matt LeBlanc and Bobby Wolff scored a goal apiece and goalkeeper Will Raymond had four saves.
The Clippers and Rangers met twice during the regular season, settling for a 1-1 draw in the opener Sept. 5 in Cumberland before Greely won at Yarmouth for the first time in a decade, 1-0, Sept. 24. The Clippers hold a 4-3 all-time postseason advantage, including a 5-1 win in the 2019 regional final, the most recent encounter.
The Greely-Yarmouth winner will face John Bapst (15-1) or Medomak Valley (10-2-4) in the Class B state final Saturday in Bangor at a time to be announced.
In Class A South, Falmouth, ranked second, defeated visiting No. 7 Biddeford, 3-1, in the quarterfinals last Wednesday. Wyatt Braun, Clayton Hickey and Evan Mayo scored the goals. Goalkeeper Caden Berry made four saves. Saturday, the Navigators hosted No. 3 Scarborough in the semifinals in a game that literally came down to the final second. Falmouth had a goal waved off in the first half, then fell behind, 1-0, at the break. Wyatt Carlson drew the Navigators even early in the second half before the Red Storm went back on top. Time appeared to run out on Falmouth’s season until a penalty kick was awarded with 0.4 seconds remaining. The Navigators had a chance to send the game to overtime, but Mayo’s PK was saved and Falmouth lost, 2-1, as its season ended abruptly at 12-3-1.
In Class C South, NYA, the No. 4 seed, suffered a gutwrenching loss to rival and No. 5 seed Waynflete in the quarterfinals. The Panthers got a goal from Jacob Colaluca just before halftime and held the lead until just over two minutes remained, when the Flyers drew even. After two NYA breakaway chances were denied in the first 15-minute, “sudden victory” overtime, Waynflete scored on a header off a corner kick in the second OT to win it, 2-1, ending the Panthers’ campaign at 8-6-1.
“That was a fantastic goal,” NYA coach Larry Burningham said. “There’s nothing you can do. Great cross. Great finish. I told (goalie) Gavin (Thomas) that there was no way he could have stopped that. Upper 90, coming from the opposite direction. We played too much defense, not enough offense. They played great and kept the pressure on us.”
The Panthers will be hard by graduation, but expect them to be right back in the title hunt again in 2025.
“We lose a lot,’ Burningham said. “We lose a significant piece of the pie. We do have some good freshmen and if we get some new students, we’ll be fine.”
Girls’ soccer
Falmouth’s Hadley Perry tries to get the ball past a Cheverus defender during the Navigators’ quarterfinal round loss last week. Brianna Soukup / Portland Press Herald
Greely and NYA’s girls’ teams were also still alive at press time.
The Panthers, seeded third in Class C South, held off No. 6 Waynflete in the quarterfinals, 2-1, behind goals from Delia Fontana and Natasha Godfrey. In Saturday’s semifinals, at second-ranked Hall-Dale, NYA had to go to penalty kicks to survive. Godfrey, Lyla Casey and Ellie Seely scored in regulation, but the Bulldogs rallied to force overtime. After two scoreless OTs, the teams went to penalty kicks. Conversions from Cami Casserly and Ella Giguere and a couple clutch saves from goalkeeper Sadie Morgan gave the Panthers a 2-1 advantage in PKs and a 4-3 victory as they improved to 13-3.
“I am so excited,” Giguere said. “I was just trying to picture (a successful kick). It’s 1-1, I just need to focus, imagine where I’m going. I visualized it, shot it and it was the happiest moment ever. Senior year, we’re going to regionals, and I just love this team.”
“The girls played so well,” NYA coach Ricky Doyon said. “We pressed. We released our backs and they were in part of the play because we don’t play sweepers all the way back, we’re pushing (forward).”
The Panthers move on to face top-ranked Maranacook (14-0-2) Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Class C South Final in Auburn. The teams didn’t play this fall and have no playoff history.
If NYA advances to the state final, it will battle either Fort Kent (14-2) or Foxcroft Academy (15-0-1) Saturday at a time to be announced in Bangor.
In Class B South, Greely, the top seed, blanked No. 8 Wells (5-0), in its quarterfinal. Avery Bush scored twice and Jackie Franklin, Abby Lennox and Sami Santerre added a goal apiece.
Two-time reigning state champion Yarmouth, seeded fifth, knocked off No. 4 Morse in its quarterfinal, 2-0, as Brooklyn Hayes and Fiona John scored the goal.
Saturday evening, the Rangers hosted the Clippers in the semifinals and Yarmouth carried play in the first half, even hitting the crossbar, but it couldn’t take the lead. Then, with 28:52 remaining, Lily Pierce scored, from Molly Partridge. Greely shut down Yarmouth from there and advanced, 1-0, to improve to 12-0-4.
“It was kind of blur,” Pierce said, of her goal. “It was such an amazing pass from Molly. I got the ball and kind of blacked out. It was satisfying and my team was really happy about it. It was an amazing celebration. Yarmouth’s always tough and it’s exciting to beat them in the playoffs. We hadn’t beaten them until this year. I feel like we realized what we had to get done to win this game. It’s a tribute to our hard work.”
“It was our goal to get to the next level,” said Rangers coach Rachel Williams. “It’s been my goal since I started coaching to get the program back to what I remembered it was like. The girls have supported me in doing that and the more support I can give them, the stronger we’ll continue to be and we’ll keep growing.”
Greely advanced to battle No. 2 Cape Elizabeth (12-1-3) in the Class B South Final Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Fryeburg Academy. The teams twice played to a pair of ties in the regular season, 2-2 at the Capers and 1-1 in Cumberland.
The longtime rivals have met a staggering 22 previous times in the tournament, with the Capers holding a 12-10 advantage. Last year, Cape Elizabeth beat visiting Greely, 3-0, in the semifinals.
“It means a lot getting this far in playoffs,” Pierce said. “We have a really good team this year and we really want to do it for the seniors. We just have to stay focused. We know we have it in us. We just have to accomplish our goals and I think we can do it.”
“We’re excited to play Cape again,” said Williams. “I hope we can play from ahead this time. We need to be clean and sharp and consistent and capitalize on mistakes. We’re ready.”
If the Rangers move on to the Class B South Final, they would face either Medomak Valley (14-2) or Hermon (14-2) Saturday at a time to be announced in Bangor.
Yarmouth’s two-year title reign ended and its season finished at 7-5-4.
“The kids competed and did all we asked of them,” said Clippers coach Andy Higgins. “(Greely) adjusted and got us back on our heels a little bit. We had a plan. They’re a really good, veteran team. Our kids responded well. They continued to battle and compete. I’m so proud of them, but unfortunately, we’re walking out of here with the feeling no one really likes.
“I hope the seniors can focus on their four-year run because it was pretty special. We lost a lot of kids and we were new, we were young, we had a really tough schedule, but we battled and competed. They took us on a fun journey. I couldn’t be more proud of their growth this year. One game doesn’t make or break anything. When the coldness of tonight wears off, hopefully the seniors can enjoy their whole careers. For the younger kids, let this be a motivator. Let it sink in a little bit and drive them for next year.”
Freeport, the No. 3 seed, advanced with a 4-0 victory over No. 6 Lincoln Academy in the quarterfinals. Lucy Riggs scored twice and Lana DiRusso and Isla Pattershall also had a goal. Saturday, at No. 2 Cape Elizabeth in the semifinals, Mia Levesque’s goal with nine minutes left in regulation forged a tie, but the Capers scored in overtime to win, 2-1, and end the Falcons’ season at 10-4-2.
In Class A South, Falmouth, the No. 5 seed, which blanked No. 12 Deering (4-0) in the preliminary round, dropped a heartbreaker at No. 4 Cheverus in last Tuesday’s quarterfinals. Mackenzie VerLee’s latest highlight reel goal forged a second half tie, but the Stags scored with 44 seconds left to win it and end the Navigators’ campaign at 10-4-2.
“I felt like we played better soccer than (Cheverus), but at this point of the year it doesn’t always matter,” Johnson said. “I told the girls, it didn’t start today. It started when we made a mistake letting the ball go out against Cheverus at home for the corner kick they scored on. It started when we made a mistake against Marshwood. They should have been at our place today and maybe that would have changed things. Those little mistakes in the season add up.”
The Navigators lose nine seniors, but a lot of talent will return in 2025. We haven’t heard the last of this squad.
“The seniors did a wonderful job carrying the program through the past four years,” said Johnson. “This is my third year and we haven’t gotten past this point. I thought this year was set up for us to do that.
“At the same time, we had three seniors who got significant minutes, besides that it was freshmen, sophomores and juniors. We’ll be back next year and we’ll see what we can do. I hope the girls come back hungry.”
Football
Falmouth’s football team, coming off the best regular season in program history (8-0), earned a bye into the semifinals and Friday at 6:30 p.m., the Navigators will host No. 5 Messalonskee (4-5). Falmouth beat the host Eagles in the regular season finale Oct. 25, 31-14. The teams have no playoff history.
Greely is also still alive. The Rangers, ranked second in the eight-man large school division after a 7-1 campaign, will take on No. 3 Lake Region (7-2) in the state semifinals Friday at 7 p.m. The teams didn’t meet this fall and have no playoff history.
Freeport, the No. 4 seed in Class D South, suffered an agonizing 22-21 home loss to No. 5 Oak Hill in last Friday’s quarterfinals. After a scoreless first quarter, Teddy Peters’ 10-yard touchdown run gave the Falcons the jump, but the Raiders drew even at the half, 7-7. Peters scored from 4-yards out in the third period, but in the fourth, Oak Hill drew even. Freeport went back in front on a 15-yard scoring pass from Peters to Ben Bolduc, but the Raiders saved their best for last, getting a touchdown and two-point conversion with 1:37 remaining to advance, ending the Falcons’ season at 4-5.
Peters finished with 120 rushing yards and two TDs and also threw for a score.
“Young man is the hardest working player on this team,” Freeport coach Paul St. Pierre said. “We wouldn’t even be in this position if it wasn’t for some of the individual gutsy performances he put in all year and the work he put in the offseason rolled over. He’s a leader, he’s our best player. I’m very proud of him.”
Volleyball
The five-year title run of Yarmouth’s volleyball team came to a close last Wednesday.
The Clippers, ranked third in Class B, swept both No. 14 Westbrook and No. 6 Falmouth in their first two playoff matches, but they couldn’t solve second-seeded York in the semifinals, falling in straight sets, 24-26, 22-25, 22-25, to finish the year 12-5. Ella Cameron had eight kills and Grace Keaney finished with six, but it wasn’t enough.
“Our swings weren’t quite where they were in other games,” said Erin Quirk, Yarmouth’s second-year coach. “Usually we get a few more kills, a few more aces out there. We struggled being able to hit the ball into the ground, but York is also one of the strongest defensive teams that we’ve seen.”
The Clippers’ 17-match postseason win streak also came to a close.
Press Herald staff writer Steve Craig, Kennebec Journal staff writer Dave Dyer and Sun Journal staff writer Haley Jones contributed to this story.
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.
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