YARMOUTH — His team’s preparation was spot on, but Yarmouth High boys’ lacrosse coach Jon Miller had one more bit of guidance to offer, and he did it with volume. With the Clippers comfortably ahead at halftime, Miller told his players if they let up, they would lose.
They didn’t – let up, or lose – as Yarmouth beat Greely 9-4 in a Class B semifinal Wednesday night.
Yarmouth jumped to a 5-0 first-quarter lead, riding a hot stick belonging to Peter Psyhogeos, who scored four of the goals and assisted on the other by Cole Adams-Beyea. Killian Marsh scored two of his four goals in the second quarter, giving the Clippers a 7-1 halftime lead.
Sixth-seeded Yarmouth (9-6) moves on to the state championship game Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland against No. 4 Marshwood (12-3). No. 10 Greely, which split two games with Yarmouth during the regular season, is done at 7-8.
The Clippers will be playing in their 13th title game. They have won four championships, including 2019 (a one-goal win over Greely).
Yarmouth’s first state title came in 2004 when Miller was a senior midfielder. This season is his first as head coach. So far, so good.
“The boys played as a team,” said Miller. “Lacrosse is a game of waves. We had the first wave and we just had to make sure it didn’t turn.”
Yarmouth worked the ball well, with midfielder Steve Fulton often in control. The key was getting the ball to Psyhogeos, who rifled shots though a crowd or drove in.
“I felt like I could go to the net and my teammates did a good job of clearing,” Psyhogeos said.
Then it was up to the defense and goalie Simon Algara (12 saves),
“We were confident in our one-on-one matchups, and we executed,” said defender Colin Senger.
Greely was led by David Kenney with two goals and an assist. Nicholas Fallon and Matthew Kennedy were the other goal scorers.
“Yarmouth came out to play and we came out a little stagnant,” said Greely Coach Mike Storey. “Anytime you get into a deficit like that against a good team, it’s going to be a long day.”
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