Yarmouth boys avenge loss, extend win streak

YARMOUTH—Yarmouth’s boys’ soccer team was chomping at the bit.

After losing at Greely in the season opener three weeks ago, the Clippers got another shot at the Rangers and while they ultimately got the revenge victory they were looking for, Greely made a pretty powerful statement in defeat.

Simply put, that should these rivals meet again in the playoffs, that the Rangers are more than capable of ending Yarmouth’s title reign.

Saturday evening, the Clippers struck in the 12th minute, when senior Zach Kelly, playing in just his third game since returning from injury, scored in a scrum off a corner kick.

Yarmouth hoped to go on to a decisive win, but Greely wouldn’t surrender another goal and for much of the night, the Rangers had the Clippers on their heels.

But Greely could never break through, as Yarmouth’s strong defense and senior goalkeeper Ian O’Connor stood tall, and the Clippers held on for a 1-0 victory.

Yarmouth won its seventh straight game, improved to 7-1 and in the process, dropped the Rangers to 4-2-1.

“That first game was disappointing, but thankfully it happened at the beginning of the season,” said O’Connor. “Sometimes, a team needs a kick in the gut and I think we responded really well and we’ve tightened things up. We’ve learned from our mistakes and we’re looking a lot better now. I’m proud of the boys for how we played tonight.”

Unfamiliar spot

Longtime coaches Mike Andreasen of Greely, left, and Mike Hagerty of Yarmouth chat prior to yet another showdown. Hoffer photos.

Back on Aug. 31, Greely beat Yarmouth in Cumberland for the first time since 2007, 2-0, thanks to one goal in each half from junior Bez Mendelsohn. It was the first time since 2011 that the Clippers had dropped a season opener.

A Yarmouth squad that many, including longtime coach Mike Hagerty, were hinting prior to the season could be an all-time great team, was at an early crossroads and has clearly answered in positive fashion.

After downing visiting Gray-New Gloucester (7-0) and York (3-0), the Clippers defeated visiting Brunswick, the reigning Class A champion, 3-1, then beat host Cape Elizabeth (4-1) in a regional final rematch, won at four-time Class C champion Waynflete (3-0) and Thursday, rolled at Wells in a makeup game, 8-0.

Greely followed up its Opening Day victory with a 2-1 win at Fryeburg Academy. After suffering a 2-1 setback at Cape Elizabeth, the Rangers blanked visiting Waynflete (3-0), played visiting Freeport to a scoreless draw, then Thursday, prevailed at Poland, 4-0.

Saturday, on a chilly first night of fall (57 degrees at kickoff), Greely sought its first season sweep of Yarmouth since way back in 2002, but instead, the Clippers did just enough to keep alive their winning ways.

Greely junior Owen Piesik plays the ball as Yarmouth senior Benjamin Flowerdew and sophomore Gideon Ahrens (5) defend early in the Clippers’ 1-0 victory Saturday.

The Rangers had the first good chance in the sixth minute, when O’Connor had to come out to rob senior Samuel Kim after a deflected ball came right to him.

Greely sophomore keeper Landon Dominski then denied sophomore Gideon Ahrens and robbed senior Max Gilbert, who was set up by a nice ball from senior Matt Gautreau.

But with 28:20 remaining in the first half, off a Yarmouth corner kick served up by senior Adam McLaughlin, senior Jonny Fulton sent a shot on frame. Dominski and a defender both went for the ball and the rebound squirted free in front to Kelly, who sent it home for a 1-0 lead.

“Jonny kicked in a great shot and the outside back tipped it out of the goalie’s hands and I just finished,” Kelly said. “It was all Jonny.”

“It was absolutely a lucky bounce,” said Hagerty. “When we challenged, their keeper didn’t call the defender off and it was boom-boom. Zach did a really good job there. He’s always around the ball. When he and Matt get their rhythm and play off each other, we’ll be very dangerous.”

“We actually hit the ball out of own guy’s hand on the goal,” lamented longtime Greely coach Mike Andreasen. “Those things happen. In a game like this, one play like that makes the game.”

The Rangers nearly equalized four minutes later, but O’Connor dove to rob Mendelsohn after sophomore Connor Skillin set him up.

After Mendelsohn just missed with his left foot, Yarmouth senior back Sam Lowenstein blocked a shot from Kim in the box, then Lowenstein broke up a rush from junior Owen Piesik.

Late in the half, the Clippers hoped to add to their lead, but Gautreau had an opportunity broken up by Rangers junior back Mason Rodgers in the box, Fulton missed just high off a corner and senior back Eric Asherman broke up Gautreau’s cross to senior Ben Flowerdew.

Much of the second half would see Greely threatening to pull even, but Yarmouth refused to let it happen.

Yarmouth senior Justin Dawes plays the ball away from Greely junior Bez Mendelsohn.

With 31:10 to go in regulation, sophomore Cade Potts served in a long free kick, which O’Connor punched out to senior Keegan Hale, who lofted a promising floater on target, only to see O’Connor punch that one away as well, setting up a corner kick.

“When I’m under pressure, it’s safe to punch,” O’Connor said. “I completely trust my teammates to clear the second ball. If it guarantees we get out of the situation, I’ll take it.”

After O’Connor denied Piesik, O’Connor punched away another free kick, this from Piesik.

Yarmouth threatened to double its lead, but McLaughlin sent a one-timer just wide, then junior Luis Cardoso forced Dominski to go sprawling to make the save.

After Mendelsohn had a foray into the box broken up, the visitors got their best chance with 8:15 left, when a deflection off a free kick came right in front to junior Owen Partridge, but he was stopped cold by O’Connor.

“The punchouts were big and the one-on-one saves were big too,” Hagerty said. “Ian can do that. He shows us in practice every day. I think Dominski will be one of the best goalies in the state the next two years, but Ian has to be now. He doesn’t beat himself. His positioning to make saves and his adjustment when to come out was terrific tonight. He used to be a shot-blocker, but he’s a goalie now.”

After Dominski kept Greely alive by stopping a shot from Kelly, the Rangers got three corner kicks, but could do nothing with them.

The Clippers then won possession and were able to run out the clock and celebrate their 1-0 victory.

Yarmouth mobs senior goalkeeper Ian O’Connor at the final horn.

“We wanted to keep the ball and possess tonight,” Kelly said. “This team is super-deep. We have so many guys who didn’t play tonight who could have played and been as good as the starters. It’s awesome to have so much depth.”

“(Greely’s) very good and athletic,” said Hagerty. “They have speed on both wings and are technically strong in the middle. Their center-backs played well and didn’t let us turn and go. What happens is when they find (senior Aaron) Park or Kim or Piesik, they know right away they can stretch you out. For parts of the game, we weren’t connecting passes and they connected long balls very intelligently. They’re very dangerous on their long diagonal passes. For long parts of the game, they played their game better than we played our game. We had more shots than them, but they generated some uncomfortable moments. We had to play 16 kids to stay fresh on the outside.”

The Clippers had a slim 9-8 edge in shots on frame and got eight saves from O’Connor, who got a big assist from his defense, especially Fulton, Lowenstein and senior Justin Dawes.

“It’s fun to have more action,” O’Connor said. “I’ll take it when I can get it because my backs don’t usually let up many shots. They played an amazing game today. I think Sam had more saves than I did.”

“I think our three center-backs, Sammy and Jonny and Justin, did a really good job,” Hagerty said. “Not just defending, but blocking shots.”

Greely had a 7-4 advantage on corner kicks and got eight saves from Dominski.

“Landon is a great goalie and he played really well,” O’Connor said. “It’s scary he’s only a sophomore.”

Ultimately, the Rangers did a lot of good things, but they just couldn’t get the ball in the net.

“In a lot of people’s eyes, (Yarmouth’s) the best team around, but this shows we’re right there with them,” Andreasen said. “We feel pretty good. If we have to play them again, it will probably be on a neutral field and we’ll take our shot. Yarmouth is usually matter-of-fact when they beat us, but they were happy after this one. We weren’t retreating the whole time. We had them on their heels. We had our chances.”

Playoff race

Greely returns home Tuesday to face Lake Region. After hosting York Thursday, the Rangers have a chance to avenge their first loss when Cape Elizabeth pays a visit Oct. 5.

“I feel good about our team,” Andreasen said. “A lot of these kids were with us last year in secondary roles. Now, they’re stepping up. We have to get some scoring. We’ve been anemic offensively, but our defense is good. To go 160 minutes with (Yarmouth) and give up one goal is pretty good.

“What’s nice for us is the season is half over and we’re done with Yarmouth, we have Cape at home and we’re done with Freeport.”

Yarmouth hopes to extend its win streak Tuesday when Freeport pays a visit. Next Saturday, the Clippers go to Mt. Ararat for an interclass battle.

“We just need to focus on us and keep getting better and keep improving,” said O’Connor. “Even when we win, we have to learn from what we could have done better. We have to trust each other and keep our chemistry strong.”

“We still have to connect passes,” Hagerty said. “We didn’t have many quality shots tonight. That’s two games against Greely where we didn’t have quality shots. We can get better at that and we will.

“I think Greely’s very good, Cape’s very good, York’s very good and Freeport is coming on. Lincoln Academy is having a great year too. It feels like we’ll be the top six teams. It’s just a question of the order.”