Throughout a foggy and mist-covered evening, the goalies for the Deering and Noble girls’ soccer teams made sure scoring chances amounted to nothing.

Deering keeper Gianna Charest (15 saves) and Noble’s Raegan Kelly (12 saves) – both sophomores – turned in impressive efforts as the teams battled to a 0-0 draw Monday night at Deering’s Memorial Field.

“(Kelly) was very calm and poised,” said Deering Coach Kevin Olson. “Early on, she didn’t give up any rebounds. We were hoping, with the wet conditions, that we’d be able to get some follow-up shots, but she was very good.

“Gianna continues to make great strides. She was in position tonight; (she’s) a very smart goalkeeper and came off the line very well.”

Charest made four of her saves in overtime. She opened the second overtime with a diving save, then helped break up a trio of corner kicks to preserve the tie for the Rams (1-2-2)

“She’s had to grow up really quick,” said Olson. “She’s the varsity starter, and she’s put in a lot of time herself to be ready. Every time out, she’s gaining confidence.

“We played Gorham to a 0-0 tie in 90 minutes last Friday. They’re a powerhouse team, and I think she gained a lot of confidence in that one. She made about 16 saves in that one, and coming off it, she did a great job controlling the box and helping to defend the corners.”

Noble (3-1-1) picked up the pressure after halftime and reached double digits in corner kicks.

“You can’t give up that many corners, because it gives these good teams too many chances,” said Olson. “Fortunately, we stayed tight and didn’t break tonight.

“In the second half, Noble definitely took it to us and had us back on our heels. We had to stay true to who we were and trust what we do. We work on defending corners every day, and these girls understand their roles. They stayed tough.”

The Rams – with 12 underclassmen on the roster – would’ve preferred walking off the pitch with a win but recognized the importance of another solid showing against another one of the SMAA’s top teams.

“This is a season about growth and improvement, and the fact that we played with Gorham and then played with this Noble team that has some talent (and) has big wins against Falmouth and Sanford, a tie is positive,” said Olson.

“We knew this was going to be a battle, and there’s nothing wrong with going away with positive points.”

Deering was also sparked by the strong play of senior midfielder Darrah Scott, a captain and four-year varsity player.

“Darrah has been both a leader with communication, and on the field leading by example, defensively and offensively,” said Olson.

“She’s been with us for four years and really understands what I expect from my leaders. She’s taken the role very seriously. Darrah is the center-mid and the playmaker, and we look to her to be our quarterback out there.”

UPDATE: This story was updated at 11:15 a.m. on Sept. 19 to correctly identify Deering girls’ soccer coach Kevin Olson and Deering goalkeeper Gianna Charest.