Mt Ararat 0

Gorham 1

Rachele Burns scored the game-winning goal with just under 12 minutes to play to propel the Gorham girls soccer team to its third straight state championship with a 1-0 victory over Mt. Ararat.

“I honestly don’t know where it came from,” Burns said. “I just sort of made moves and shot and prayed it went in. It was just a good goal.”

Burns’ goal was the only one the Rams needed. Their stellar and stingy defense held off the Eagles for the entire 80 minutes. Caitlyn Butterfield and goalkeeper Luci Pike stood up to all of the Mt. Ararat attacks. Pike made just four saves to preserve the Rams second straight Class A crown. (Gorham won the Class B state championship back in 2004.)

“I think this team came to play,” said Gorham coach Jeanne Zarrilli. “I said our job was to play 80 minutes. If we didn’t play the entire 80 minutes, then we wouldn’t be going home winners. That’s the name of the state final game; you have really strong defensive teams.”

The Eagles defense proved very strong in the first half as they intercepted many Gorham passes to keep the Rams out of their rhythm. Gorham’s forwards did manage six shots, but every one of them was heavily contested.

The game got more physical as time went on. Burns said it was important for her squad that they not let that style of play bother them.

“I kept my composure,” she said. “I’ve learned to keep my composure. We just come out ready to play and that’s how we get through all this stuff. We’ve learned to keep our composure.”

Coach Zarrilli stressed how important it was for her team to stay focused despite the physical play.

“In any playoff situation you’re going to have physicality,” she said. “You’re going to have a lot of intensity and you can’t let the other team throw you out of your game and start kicking panic balls. We work very hard on being a skill possession based team and if we lose our composure we just start playing poorly.”

The teams went to the break deadlocked at 0-0.

Zarrilli spoke to her girls at halftime and made a few adjustments. Those changes resulted in 10 quality second half shots.

“I thought Mt. Ararat showed their defensive strength,” she said. “We tried to make a lot of passes that they picked off in the first half. We talked about that at halftime; really sharpening up our passes and playing to feet.”

The Gorham girls dominated most of the second half. They kept the ball in the Mt. Ararat end of the field for what seemd like the entire 40 minutes.

At one point, however, the Eagles did manage to get one quality scoring chance of their own. Mt. Ararat’s Danielle Plourde made her way behind the Rams defense and she got a good look at the net, but her shot went high. Butterfield pressured Plourde and helped force the bad shot.

“I was nervous, but I was thinking this is where Caitlyn Butterfield is at her best,” said Zarrilli. “I have not seen, in the three years that she has anchored our backfield, anyone get in past her. I was nervous that time because Danielle’s a really strong good player but Caitlyn won’t let that easy shot get off. She’ll be on the ground. She’ll be anywhere she has to be.”

Just six minutes after they survived that scare, Burns burst through the Mt. Ararat defense, danced around a couple of defenders and shot. Eagles’ goalkeeper Jessica Stahl could not get her hands on the ball and it tickled the twine behind her for the only goal of the game.

“I thought when we scored that’s when we started playing some of our best soccer,” said Zarrilli. “We relaxed and we were able to pass the ball. That’s what we were trying to do the whole game really and I think it took that to make that happen.”

Mt. Ararat coach Sam Chard knew his girls would have their work cut out for them if they were to tie the game.

“Rachele is tough. She’s a tough striker,” he said. “When you’ve got a striker who has a knack for the net, they’re hard to defend. Against a real tough team like this, it’s tough to get the momentum back again.”

Gorham’s offense made sure the one goal lead stood up as they kept the pressure on the Mt Ararat defenders.

“I really can’t describe it,” said senior Kelsey Wilson, who was an integral part of all three state titles. “I can’t stop crying and I don’t know why. I should be happy, but I think the emotions are just going crazy right now.”

“It’s going to be really hard to leave everybody,” said the talented senior. “Everybody is just so close and encouraging. It’s so much fun to be on a team like this.”

Burns repeated that sentiment.

“We’re like one big family,” said Burns “We’re all there for each other when we need each other and it’s great. It’s going to be hard to see the seniors go. I love every single one of them and they’ve worked so hard.”