CAPE ELIZABETH — Digging a two-goal deficit on the road without one of your best players available is hardly the recipe for success, but the Yarmouth girls’ soccer team somehow rose off the deck and ended rival Cape Elizabeth’s undefeated run in stunning fashion Tuesday evening at Hannaford Field.
The Clippers, playing without top goal scorer Ava Feeley, got second-half goals from Aine Powers, Katelyn D’Appolonia and Grace Lestage to not only rally for a 3-2 victory and improve to 8-1-1, but also hand the Capers (9-1) their first loss in over two years, snapping their 32-game win streak.
“We’ve been in this situation multiple times this season and there’s no quit in these kids,” said Yarmouth Coach Andy Higgins. “The kids were great and they fought all the way through.”
The Clippers, who lost 2-0 at home to Cape Elizabeth in the season opener, focused on blanketing Capers standout Maggie Cochran in the first half. The game appeared bound to be scoreless at the break before Emily Supple pounced on a loose ball and buried a shot just 12 seconds before halftime.
Then, with just over 30 minutes to play, freshman C.C. Duryea beat Yarmouth goalkeeper Regan Sullivan on a rebound and it appeared Cape Elizabeth was on its way to victory yet again.
Until Yarmouth rallied in staggering, stunning fashion.
The game turned two minutes later, when Capers keeper Elise Branch (one save) misplayed the ball, Powers got to it and scored to give the Clippers life.
With 23:03 left, D’Appolonia found the upper left corner of the goal with a gorgeous 35-yard free kick and just like that, Yarmouth was even.
“I was kind of lucky,” said D’Appolonia. “If I’m being totally honest, I was trying to go back post. It hit off my foot oddly, so I was a little lucky.”
Then, with 6:31 remaining, Powers played a long ball ahead to Lestage, who got around a defender, then beat Branch for a 3-2 lead.
“I just took my shot and hoped it would go in,” said Lestage. “I just aimed for the bottom corner.”
Sullivan (11 saves) and Yarmouth’s defense then closed out the team’s biggest win to date.
“I think this gives us confidence we can compete with (Cape),” said Higgins. “With a team that good, you have to believe you can compete with them and win.”
Capers Coach Graham Forsyth, who has lost just twice in his four seasons with the program – both times to Yarmouth – said after the game that a loss might be a good thing for his team.
“We needed an attitude adjustment, and the girls knew that and the best thing that could have happened to us was a loss,” Forsyth said. “We don’t like to lose. The positive is that it wasn’t a playoff game. The girls still believe we’re better than Yarmouth.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
