CAPE ELIZABETH — Not much has gone right for Cape Elizabeth’s boys’ soccer team this fall, but even after letting a two-goal lead slip away Tuesday night at Hannaford Field, it managed to at least split Heal points after battling Greely to a 2-2 tie.
“It’s important for us to get any (Heal points), so that was good,” said Cape Elizabeth Coach Ben Raymond, whose team is 2-5-1. “We played well and competed. They competed hard. It was a good back-and-forth game. Greely’s a dangerous team with dangerous players. I thought we had more possession and opportunities, but they did a good job making their opportunities count.”
The Capers appeared poised for a breakthrough victory when Dylan Hewitt converted a penalty kick with 6:29 to go in the first half, then scored again, in a more conventional way, after a deflection with 5:11 on the clock, but they couldn’t hold the lead.
Twenty seconds after Hewitt’s second goal, the game turned as Greely’s Aidan Melville made a nice run up the right side and fed Chris Williams, who one-timed a shot past Cape Elizabeth goalkeeper Andrew Carroll.
“That goal was just huge,” said Greely Coach Mike Andreasen, whose team is 4-1-2. “We came into halftime feeling lucky not to be down, 2-0. It looked like Aidan had fire in his eyes. He served a great ball and Chris had a great finish.”
The Rangers completed their comeback 2:28 into the second half, the Rangers completed their comeback. Off a corner kick, the ball got knocked around and came to Lucas Goettel, who tied it up.
With 27:36 remaining in regulation, the Capers appeared to the lead as Egan Doherty set up Archie McEvoy for a shot Greely goalie Schuyler Wetmore (seven saves) couldn’t stop, but after a discussion between the officials, the goal was waved off as McEvoy was deemed to be offside.
“I couldn’t see who (the ball) deflected off and (the official) said he saw it a different way than we did,” Raymond said. “We’re getting used to that. We’ve had as many goals called off this year as we’ve scored.”
After Cape Elizabeth’s Charlie Dall rang a shot off the crossbar and Williams just missed on a shot that rolled inches wide of the far post, the match went to overtime.
The first 5-minute, sudden victory session saw Goettel have a shot saved and two Rangers’ corner kicks not result in a shot.
Silas Cunningham and Chase Cornwall had bids to win it for Greely in the second overtime, but Carroll (seven saves) denied them.
Each team had nine shots on goal.
The Rangers took eight corner kicks; the Capers six.
“Tying or winning tonight isn’t Earth-shattering either way, but they’re a big rival and they’ll beat some teams this year, so we’re happy to get out of here with something,” Andreasen said. “Hopefully our best soccer is still ahead of us.”
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