FALMOUTH — With its season on the line and its mental fortitude being challenged, Falmouth’s boys’ lacrosse team dug deep and produced its finest hour Saturday evening.

Trailing red-hot Kennebunk, a team which had beaten the Yachtsmen a couple weeks prior, by three goals at halftime of the teams’ Class B South semifinal, Falmouth could have packed it in and put an up-and-down season behind it, but instead, the Yachtsmen made a powerful statement, riding a dominant defensive effort to spark the comeback, giving their coach a landmark victory in the process.

And as a result, they find themselves just two wins from a state title after a 10-9 victory over the Rams.

Falmouth, the No. 2 seed in Class B South, fell behind in the first period, when third-ranked Kennebunk scored three times in the final minute to grab a 4-2 lead.

The Yachtsmen tied the score twice in the second quarter, the second time when junior Jack Scribner scored unassisted with 4:50 remaining, but the Rams scored again scored three straight goals to take an 8-5 advantage to halftime.

Falmouth re-dedicated itself to defense in the second half and shut Kennebunk out in the third quarter, allowing the Yachtsmen’s potent offense to respond. Goals from junior Devin Russell, sophomore Nick Farnham, Russell again and senior George Gilbert put the hosts on top, 9-8.

Kennebunk wasn’t about to make it easy, however, and in a microcosm of its season, played its best late, tying the game with 7:47 remaining, as junior Brenden Whitten beat Falmouth junior goalie Liam Tucker, who wouldn’t surrender another goal.

The Yachtsmen went on top for good with just 1:26 left, as Farnham scored, and down the stretch, Tucker made two huge saves and Falmouth’s defense denied one final Rams’ chance as time expired and the Yachtsmen held on to advance, 10-9.

Falmouth snapped a two-game skid, improved to 10-3, gave coach Mike LeBel hit 100th victory with the program, ended Kennebunk’s season at 9-5 and advanced to meet top-ranked, three-time defending state champion Cape Elizabeth (13-0) in the Class B South yet again, Wednesday in Cape Elizabeth.

“We changed the way we did things defensively and stepped it up and shut them out in the third quarter,” LeBel said. “To let up eight goals in one half won’t ever win a game. The kids showed a lot of heart. I knew it was possible.”