Playoff time is upon us.
The postseason has already begun in field hockey and cross country and soccer and volleyball are set to commence this weekend. Even football is winding down.
Here’s a look back at the events of last week and a glimpse at what’s upcoming:
Field hockey
Four of five local field hockey teams qualified for the playoffs.
In Class A South, Falmouth finished 6-8 and earned the 11th and final playoff spot in the region after closing with a 1-0 loss at Sanford last Wednesday. Saturday, the Yachtsmen went to No. 6 Scarborough for a preliminary round playoff game. Falmouth lost, 3-0, at home to the Red Storm to start the regular season and was 0-2 all-time versus Scarborough in the postseason, but the third time proved to be a charm for the Yachtsmen, as Sarah Greenlaw made 15 saves and Mary Kate Bayer’s goal with 7:25 to play helped produced a 1-0 victory.
Falmouth (7-8) advanced to battle No. 3 Gorham (9-5) in the quarterfinals Wednesday afternoon (see pressherald.com/forecaster-sports/ for game story). On Sept. 20, the Yachtsmen beat the visiting Rams, 1-0. Falmouth is 3-0 all-time versus Gorham in the playoffs, with a 2-1 victory in last year’s quarterfinals the most recent.
If the Yachtsmen spring another upset (by seeding), they would travel to either No. 2 Massabesic (13-1) or No. 7 Sanford (9-6) for the semifinals Friday or Saturday.
In Class B South, Freeport finished the regular season 9-3-2 and earned the No. 2 seed (its best ranking since 2000, when the Falcons were ranked first in Western C and went to the state final) after closing with a 3-2 home win over Yarmouth last Wednesday. Autumn Golding had a first half goal and after the Clippers tied it, goals from Aynslie Decker and Kyla Havey proved to be just enough.
“Yarmouth came out strong, fighting hard,” Decker said. “We didn’t expect this would be easy.”
Freeport, which lost twice to York and once to Lake Region this fall, opens the playoffs Wednesday night versus No. 7 Leavitt (8-6). The teams didn’t play in the regular season. They met just once before in the playoffs, a 4-0 Hornets’ victory in the 2014 Western B quarterfinals.
“It’s very much there for the taking,” Falcons’ coach Marcia Wood said. “I don’t know anything about Leavitt, so that’s tough, but being on turf was our goal. We’d love another shot at York. Let the fun begin.”
If Freeport advances to the semifinals, it will host either No. 3 Fryeburg Academy (9-4-1) or No. 6 Yarmouth (6-7-1) Friday or Saturday.
Speaking of Yarmouth, the Clippers closed with a hard-fought 3-2 loss at Freeport, despite two highlight-reel goals from Abby Hill.
“That was exciting,” said Yarmouth coach Tracy Quimby .”A couple shots could have gone either way. We’re coming off a couple really good games and the kids are figuring out passing and moving the ball down the field.”
The Clippers went to Fryeburg Academy for a quarterfinal Wednesday. On Oct. 1, Yarmouth lost, 5-0, at Fryeburg. The teams have played twice previously in the playoffs with the Clippers winning both, including a 5-1 victory in the most recent meeting, the 2016 Class B South quarterfinals.
“We have a really fast forward line, but (Fryeburg’s) grass slows us down, so we’ll have to figure it out,” Quimby said. “We have nothing to lose.”
Greely closed with a 3-0 loss at York last Tuesday to wind up 5-9 and ninth in Class B South, but only eight teams qualified for the postseason.
In Class C South, North Yarmouth Academy closed the regular season with a 5-0 victory at Sacopee Valley last Wednesday to wind up 5-9 and fifth. Emilia McKenny scored two goals, while Lilly Weinrich, Katie Larson, Brynn McKenny and Haley Hegarty each rattled the cage once.
The Panthers went to No. 4 Wells (7-7) for a quarterfinal Tuesday. On Sept. 11, NYA beat the visiting Warriors, 4-2, and on Oct. 3, Wells returned the favor, beating the visiting Panthers, 5-1. The teams had no playoff history.
If NYA springs an upset, it will likely play at top-ranked Winthrop/Monmouth (13-1) in the semifinals Friday or Saturday.
Looking ahead, the regional finals are Wednesday of next week at Sanford High School.
The state finals are Saturday, Nov. 2 at Messalonskee High School in Oakland.
Football
Freeport’s Tre Morris picks up yardage in the Falcons’ 41-6 win over Poland Friday. Eric Maxim / Times Record.
On the gridiron, Freeport improved to 5-1 Friday after a 41-6 home win over Poland. Tre Morris set the tone by returning the opening kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown which put the Falcons on top for good. By the end of the first quarter, the lead was 20-0, thanks to TD runs of 6-yards and 34-yards from Adam Ulrickson. Ulrickson ran for two more scores to make it 34-0 at halftime, then Ulrickson (226 yards rushing) scored his fifth TD (32-yards) to account for Freeport’s final score in the fourth quarter.
“We wanted this game tonight,” said Ulrickson. “The lineman have been phenomenal this year, firing off the blocks. I’ve always had good lineman, but these guys take it serious.”
The Falcons (fourth in the Class C South Crabtree Points standings) close the regular season at 2-5 Camden Hills Saturday. Last year, Freeport won, 14-6, at Camden.
“We’ll wake up tomorrow morning, look at film, put this behind us and get ready for Camden Hills,” Falcons’ coach Paul St. Pierre said.
Yarmouth’s eight-man squad won its third game in a row, 30-20, over visiting Ellsworth to improve to 4-3. Dave Riddel scored the first touchdown on a 1-yard rush and Sam Mason added a two-point conversion rush. Jack McGrath then hit Blake Venden for a 3-yard score and McGrath added the two-point conversion. McGrath (117 yards rushing) added two more rushing TDs of 15- and 5-yards and Mason (125 rushing yards) had one more two-point conversion. The defense was paced by Turner Schnee and Liam Sullivan, who each had 11 tackles.
The Clippers (third in the eight-man large division) close the regular season at home versus top-ranked Maranacook (7-0) Friday. On Sept. 20, Yarmouth dropped a close 14-12 decision at the Black Bears.
In Class B North, the Falmouth/Greely co-op team fell to 3-4 and fourth after a 27-3 loss at Cony Friday. The Yachtsmen got a field goal in the first quarter but the Rams led 13-3, at halftime, then added two more touchdowns in the third period to put it away.
Falmouth/Greely closes the regular season at 3-4 Windham Friday. The teams didn’t meet last year.
The playoffs begin the following weekend on the fields of the higher seeds.
Boys’ soccer
NYA’s defending Class D state champion boys’ soccer team finished the regular season 5-7-2 after closing on a three-game win streak, beating visiting Wells (1-0) and Lake Region (2-1) last week. The Panthers were sixth in the Heal Points standings at press time and will likely travel for the quarterfinals next week.
In Class A South, Falmouth took an 11-1-1 record and the No. 2 ranking into Tuesday’s regular season finale at home versus Portland (see pressherald.com/forecaster-sports/ for game story). Last week, the Yachtsmen edged visiting Scarborough, 3-2, lost in double-overtime at South Portland (1-0) and downed visiting Westbrook (3-1). Against the Red Storm, Macklin Williams scored twice and Gus Ford produced the winner late. In the victory over the Blue Blazes, Ford had two more goals and Rion Dos Santos also put the ball in the net. Falmouth will have a bye into the quarterfinals.
In Class B South, Yarmouth settled for its third consecutive 1-1 tie last Tuesday, at Gray-New Gloucester. Alejandro Coury scored the goal. The Clippers (10-0-3 and first in the Heals) closed the regular season at defending Class C champion Waynflete Tuesday and will have a bye into the quarterfinals.
Greely finished the regular season 8-2-4 after wins at Lake Region (3-1), at home over York (7-1) and at Gray-New Gloucester (1-0) and a 2-1 loss at York. Against the Lakers, Aidan Melville scored two goals and Owen Kany had the other. In the win over the Wildcats, Melville scored three goals, while Andy Moore, Silas Cunningham, Chris Williams and Lucas Goettel also tickled the twine. Melville had the lone goal against the Patriots. The Rangers were ranked second in Class B South at press time and will have a bye into the quarterfinals.
Freeport finished the regular year 8-3-3 following a 3-2 win at Fryeburg Academy and a 4-0 home loss to Cape Elizabeth. The Falcons project to be the No. 4 seed in Class B South and will next play in the quarterfinals next week.
The quarterfinal round games will be played on the fields of the higher seeds.
Girls’ soccer
Falmouth’s Maggie O’Brien wins the ball during last week’s 2-0 loss at Scarborough. Ben McCanna / Portland Press Herald
On the girls’ side, defending Class D champion NYA will be the top seed for the tournament after finishing the regular season 11-2-1. Last week, the Panthers downed host St. Dom’s, 6-1, then fell at Traip Academy, 3-1. NYA will host a quarterfinal round game next week.
In Class A South, Falmouth took an 8-2-3 record and the No. 6 ranking into Tuesday’s regular season finale at Portland. Last week, the Yachtsmen fell at two-time defending regional champion Scarborough, 2-0, then rallied to down visiting South Portland, 2-1. Against the Red Storm, goalkeeper Jordan Wolf made 13 saves, but Falmouth couldn’t generate any offense.
“I was happy with 40 minutes,” Yachtsmen coach Andrew Pelletier said. “We just have to figure out a way to put together 80. We’re trying to just worry about playing good soccer. We’re 30-40 minutes away each game from putting that together.”
In the victory, Allie Cunningham and Aimee Muscadin scored late. Falmouth will open the playoffs in the preliminary round.
In Class B South, Yarmouth finished the regular year 11-2-1 following wins at Gray-New Gloucester (2-1) and at home over Wells (7-0). Ehryn Groothoff (on a penalty kick) and Parker Harnett scored against the Patriots. In the win over the Warriors, Groothoff, Hannah Dwyer, Ashlyn Feeley, Ava Feeley, Audrey Goessling, Anna Wallace and Adriana Whitlock each had one goal. The Clippers project to be the No. 2 seed behind defending champion Cape Elizabeth in the region and will host a quarterfinal round playoff game next week.
Freeport finished the regular season 10-3-1 following a 9-0 home win over Fryeburg Academy and a 2-0 home loss to Cape Elizabeth. In the victory, Rachel Wall had two goals, while Catriona Gould, Hannah Spaulding, Ellie Whittier, Tara Migliaccio, Hayley Lewis, Megan Driscoll and Emily Olsen also scored. Carly Intraversato finished with four assists. The Falcons were ranked third in Class B South at press time and will look ahead to next week’s quarterfinals.
Greely wound up 6-7-1 following a 4-1 home win over Lake Region, a 7-1 loss at York and a 3-1 home victory over Gray-New Gloucester. In the win over the Lakers, Hannah Cornish, Sawyer Dusch, Kaci O’Grady and Elle Jowett all scored. Against the Patriots, O’Grady, Kat Clancy and Chelsey Graiver had the goals. The Rangers were ranked eighth in Class B South at press time and will next take part in a preliminary round contest.
The girls’ soccer playoffs begin with the preliminary round Friday and Saturday. The quarterfinals are Tuesday of next week. Those games will be contested on the fields of the higher seeds.
Volleyball
Falmouth and Yarmouth’s volleyball teams are primed to defend their state titles.
The defending Class A champion Yachtsmen finished the regular season 14-0 after extending their match win streak to 26 by blanking host Windham (25-19, 25-9, 25-16) and visiting Thornton Academy (26-24, 25-16, 25-14) last week. Annika Hester had 19 kills and Katie Phillips added seven kills and 18 assists in the win over the Eagles. Against the Golden Trojans, Phillips had 14 assists and Rose Riversmith finished with a dozen kills. Falmouth is ranked first and will host a state quarterfinal match.
Defending Class B champion Yarmouth closed the regular season on a 13-match win streak and finished 13-1 after a four-set (22-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-13) home win over York and a five-set (25-20, 25-21, 22-25, 14-25, 15-13) victory at Cape Elizabeth. Against the Wildcats, Maggie Murray had 11 kills and Evelyn Lukis added nine kills and five aces. The Clippers will be ranked first for the tournament and will host a state quarterfinal match.
Greely wound up 7-7 after a 3-0 home win over Westbrook, a 3-0 loss at Cape Elizabeth and a four-set (12-25, 17-25, 25-19, 9-25) loss at York. The Rangers were fifth in Class B at press time and will likely travel for the quarterfinals.
In Class C, NYA wound up 8-6 and sixth after a 3-0 win at Westbrook and a four-set (18-25, 25-0, 25-10, 25-5) home victory over Lake Region. The Panthers will be on the road for the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinal matches will be contested on the courts of the higher seeds.
Cross country
The Western Maine Conference championship meet was held Friday in Standish.
Freeport’s girls were second to York in the Division I standings with Yarmouth placing fourth and Greely seventh. The Falcons were led by Jane Dawson (fifth, 22 minutes, 10 seconds). Sadie Cowles paced the Clippers with a sixth-place finish (22:12). The Rangers were led by Elsa Dean-Muncie (24th, 23:51).
In the Division I boys’ meet, won by York, Freeport finished third, Greely was fourth and Yarmouth fifth. Martin Horne paced the Falcons with a third-place individual performance (17:51). The Rangers’ top finisher was Riley Iris (15th, 19:13). The Clippers were led by Odeh Rizkallah (19th, 19:27).
The Maine Coast Waldorf boys won Division II, with NYA placing sixth. MCW was paced by Seamus Woodruff (second, 17:57). The Panthers’ top finisher was Chris Hamblett (11th, 18:48).
In the Division II girls’ meet, MCW was first and Olivia Reynolds was the top individual in 20:36. NYA didn’t score as a team. Emma Collins had the 33rd-best time (27:10).
Next up is the regional championships at Twin Brook Recreation Center in Cumberland Saturday. The Class B girls’ meet starts at 11 a.m. with the Class B boys’ meet following at 11:40. The Class C girls’ meet starts at 12:20 p.m. and the Class C boys run at 1 p.m. The Class A girls’ meet starts at 1:40 and the boys’ race begins at 2:20 p.m.
Times Record staff writer Eric Maxim contributed to this story.
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.
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