FREEPORT — A year ago, the Freeport boys saw a two-goal lead disappear in a crushing double-overtime defeat in the Class B soccer state championship game.
On Wednesday night, the Falcons again went to overtime after losing a two-goal advantage. This time, they were the ones celebrating at the end.
Will Winter’s blast from 35 yards deflected off a defender and into the net in the 109th minute to give No. 4 Freeport a 3-2 victory over No. 5 Cape Elizabeth in a Class B South quarterfinal Wednesday night at the Joan Benoit Samuelson Track & Field.
Gabe Wagner of Freeport leaps to make a save as Dylan Hewitt, right, and Egan Doherty of Cape Elizabeth attack the net. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer Buy this Photo
“I took a couple dribbles, passed a guy and honestly just shot it as hard as I could, hoping for the best,” said Winter, a senior. “Luckily, it took a deflection and it ended up in the back of the net.”
The Falcons (9-3-3) advance to the regional semifinals Saturday at top-seeded Yarmouth (12-0-3), which beat No. 8 Gray-New Gloucester, 4-0.
Cape Elizabeth (7-7-1) and Freeport split their regular-season meetings, each losing on home turf. The Falcons traveled south in late September and earned a 2-1 victory, which started a five-game winless streak for the Capers.
October proved much better for Cape Elizabeth, which not only won five straight to end the regular season but outscored opponents 23-0, including a 4-0 victory in Freeport on Oct. 19.
Sam Tourigny of Freeport wins a header over Jack Dresser of Cape Elizabeth. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer Buy this Photo
This time, Freeport jumped ahead 2-0 in the first 22 minutes. Jesse Bennell drove one in from 15 yards after intercepting a clearing attempt, and Ethan Prescott curled a corner kick into the net when the ball squirted from the grasp of keeper Andrew Carroll.
With just under 10 minutes remaining in the half, Cape Elizabeth scored when Archie McEvoy set up fellow junior Nick Clifford. Just 46 seconds after intermission, Jonas Moon tied it at 2 by pouncing on a ball that had been headed away from the goal by a Freeport defender following a Cape Elizabeth free kick.
Both teams had chances to break the tie through the final 39 minutes of regulation and 15 minutes of the first overtime. In the 89th minute, Cape senior Charlie Dall put a shot off a defender from a tough angle near the end line, and it took a diving save from Falcons keeper Gabe Wagner to prevent a goal.
Freeport teammates chase Will Winter around the field after he scored in double overtime against Cape Elizabeth. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer Buy this Photo
“That was inches from the line,” Wagner said. “It was spinning, getting ready to go in. I didn’t know if I was going to get it or not.”
Later in the first overtime, Winter struck a perfect cross to Harrison Bowen, whose one-timer from straight on sailed over the crossbar.
With 6:48 remaining in the second overtime, Dall received a red card, and Cape was forced to play a man down.
Penalty kicks seemed imminent until Winter struck.
“We worked hard enough, we played well enough to win the game,” Cape Elizabeth Coach Ben Raymond said. “It just didn’t bounce our way at the end there. The kids did great work, not just tonight, but all season long. To have it kind of end that way is not great.”
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