Waynflete rallies to stun NYA in OT classic

Waynflete junior Ian McClure-Chute is mobbed by his teammates and classmates after scoring in overtime to beat North Yarmouth Academy, 2-1, Thursday afternoon. The Flyers stayed undefeated on the year and handed the Panthers their first loss.

Joe Carpine / 365digitalphotography.com photos.

More photos below.

PORTLAND—It was a game befitting two undefeated teams and two longtime rivals.

And 80 minutes weren’t quite enough to resolve matters.

North Yarmouth Academy’s boys’ soccer team, which had handled all comers in a surprisingly strong start, paid a visit to the unbeaten, but twice-tied Waynflete Flyers in the rivals’ annual showdown at Fore River Fields and just when it appeared the Panthers were going to get out of town with a pivotal victory, the Flyers saved their best for last to rally for a breathtaking, Heal Points-rich triumph.

After neither squad could finish for most of the first half, it appeared the contest would go to the break deadlocked, but with 1:10 to go, junior Damon Dulac scored off a corner kick to put NYA on top, 1-0.

The Panthers held Waynflete off in the second half and when the Flyers hit the post with 9:22 remaining, it appeared that it wouldn’t be their day.

But games last 80 minutes and in the 79th, off a long throw from the sideline from senior Burr Rhoads, sophomore Pat Shaw found himself in optimal position to bang the ball into the net to make it 1-1.

That sent the rivals to overtime, where 97 seconds in, junior Askar Houssein set up classmate Ian McClure-Chute for the goal that ended it and gave Waynflete a 2-1 victory.

The Flyers improved to 6-0-2, beat NYA for the second year in a row and in the process, handed the Panthers their first setback in nine outings.

“This win is so amazing,” McClure-Chute said. “It means everything. I have so much love for the guys on the team. We’re such a family and that really helps us. This has been progressing. We’re playing to our strengths.”

Perfect matchup

Both teams are in the midst of memorable seasons and are hoping for even bigger things down the road.

NYA opened with a 5-0 home win over Poland. After downing visiting St. Dom’s, 5-1, the Panthers won five straight on the road, beating Traip Academy (2-1), Sacopee Valley (9-4), Buckfield (4-2), Lake Region (5-1) and St. Dom’s (4-1). Tuesday, NYA beat visiting Richmond, 6-1.

Waynflete started by blanking visiting Traip Academy (3-0) and Sacopee Valley (3-0), then settled for a 2-2 draw at Gray-New Gloucester. The Flyers blanked visiting Greely (1-0) and St. Dom’s (2-1) and after a 1-1 draw at Cape Elizabeth, Waynflete edged host Traip Academy, 1-0, Tuesday.

Waynflete and NYA have long done battle on the pitch and seemingly produce memorable games on an annual basis.

Last fall, the Flyers won at home, 3-0, to cut the Panthers’ lead in the series to 18-12 (with five ties), dating back to the 1999 season (see sidebar, below).

Thursday, on a fabulous early-fall afternoon (66-degrees at kickoff), Waynflete authored a dramatic comeback and beat NYA in overtime for the first time this century.

In the second minute, the Flyers bid for the lead, but a Houssein serve in the box to sophomore Joey Ansel-Mullen was snared first by Panthers junior goalkeeper Julian Etauri.

The first shot on frame came in the fifth minute, when NYA freshman Ollie Hemphill crossed the ball to senior Ryan Baker, who was denied by Waynflete junior keeper Luca Antolini.

In the ninth minute, Antolini saved a shot by senior Xander Kostelnik, then fell on the rebound just in time.

At the other end, Ansel-Mullen forced Etauri to make a sprawling save.

With 25:33 to go in the first half, Houssein was sent off with a yellow card.

There would be more of those during the course of the afternoon.

After Etauri saved a long free kick off the foot of Flyers sophomore Harry Millspaugh, Shaw missed just wide and senior Mykel Henry was denied by Etauri with the rebound cleared off the line by a defender.

After Baker was brought down by Antolini in the box, with no call made, Waynflete went back on the attack, but McClure-Chute missed wide and Houssein’s left-footed bid was denied by Etauri.

Then, with 1:10 left before halftime, NYA converted a corner kick to take the lead.

Hemphill served the ball in and it came to Dulac, who knocked it home for a 1-0 advantage.

“We’ve scored a lot of goals off set plays,” said Panthers coach Martyn Keen. “We have some good guys who can serve the ball in.”

In the first half, the Flyers had a 5-3 edge in shots, but NYA held the lead.

Waynflete did all it could to answer, but for most of the second half, it appeared the Flyers would come up short.

After Antolini, who came out to play the field in the second half and was replaced by junior Aidan Carlisle, sent one-timer wide, a long shot from sophomore Ben Adey was saved by Etauri.

After Hemphill received a yellow card, Waynflete junior Oliver Burdick missed just wide.

With 19:57 to play, Etauri came way out to break up a Houssein opportunity on the sideline. After the two collided, Etauri was given a yellow card and had to come off. Junior Samson Shen replaced Etauri in goal and the Flyers had a free kick opportunity, but Ansel-Mullen sailed it high, allowing Etauri to return to action.

After Antolini missed wide, NYA looked to double its lead, but junior Stefan Kulhanek missed just high and Baker was denied by Carlisle.

With 12:31 to go, Panther senior Lody Lathrop got a yellow card and on the ensuing free kick, Antolini got the ball to senior Miles Lipton, but Lipton’s game-tying bid was saved by Etauri.

With 10:43 on the clock, Burdick forced Etauri to make a sprawling save.

With 9:22 left, off a corner kick, sophomore Aidan Kieffer got his head on the ball and sent it toward the goal, but it bounced off the far post.

Despite their frustration, the Flyers didn’t quit and after a rush by Ansel-Mullen was broken up in the box and after Lathrop got a second yellow card and had to leave the game and Adey missed wide on the ensuing free kick, Waynflete was finally rewarded.

With just 1:38 left in regulation, Rhoads threw the ball in from the side, it landed untouched in the box and bounced right to Shaw, who ripped a shot that Etauri was able to get a hand on, but not stop, and just like that, the game was deadlocked, 1-1.

“We moved the ball well, but we were snake-bit,” Flyers coach Brandon Salway said. “We battled through and responded. We’re very fortunate to have a lot of good players. Burr took advantage of his opportunity and Pat had a great finish.”

Neither team managed a shot from there and the game went to overtime.

In high school soccer, teams play up to two five-minute, “sudden victory” OTs to determine a winner, but this one didn’t need anywhere near that long.

The Panthers actually had the first chance, earning an indirect kick just outside the Waynflete box, but the Flyers’ defense broke it up.

“After their goal, we knew we had to mark everyone,” McClure-Chute said. “We just knew what to do there.”

“When you work hard to tie it up, it’s natural to take a deep breath, so we were fortunate to survive that,” Salway said.

Not only did Waynflete survive it, the Flyers immediately counter-attacked and won the game.

The ball came to Houssein on the right sideline and Houssein raced into the NYA zone, drew the defense and crossed the ball to McClure-Chute, who got the ball past a prone Etauri to end it with 3:23 left in the first overtime.

Waynflete 2 NYA 1.

“Most of my life, I’ve played a deep center-mid role, but this year, I’ve tried to get forward,” said McClure-Chute. “Askar had the ability to find me. It was a lucky bounce off their guy and I had to place it and it went in. We’ve worked a lot on finishing. I don’t score a lot of goals, so it was an unbelievable feeling. I couldn’t believe it was me.”

“Askar is a lefty and that was a right-footed pass,” Salway said. “It was the right play. Ian stepped up. He’s very deserving and was very happy. He was there at the right time.

“It’s a resilient bunch. It’s a great win, but even if we didn’t win, I would have liked the way we played. We played really well, moved the ball well. NYA is a very good team.”

The Flyers out-shot the Panthers 10-5 and got two saves apiece from Antolini and Carlisle. Waynflete took four corner kicks to NYA’s two.

The Panthers got eight saves from Etauri and deserved a better fate.

“We got a little emotional toward the end and dropped deeper and deeper back,” Keen said. “It’s always a passionate game when we play Waynflete. We have a lot of seniors and they wanted to get away with a ‘W.’ I would have liked to have walked away with something, but it’s a good lesson. Waynflete is a great team.”

Eye on the prize

NYA is still first in the Class D South Heal Points standings and will play its next four games at home: Saturday versus Lake Region, Tuesday against Traip Academy, Oct. 4 against Sacopee Valley and Oct. 9 versus Buckfield. The Panthers then close the regular season at Richmond Oct. 11.

“We’ve shown we can play with top teams,” Keen said. “We won’t play, in the regular season at least, a team of (Waynflete’s) caliber. We have to take care of business now in the rest of our games. We want to finish with the number one seed and if we have the number one seed, it will be huge for us going into the playoffs. I have a determined bunch. I’m confident we’ll bounce back.”

Waynflete (now second to Maranacook in the Class C South Heal Points standings) returns to action Tuesday at home versus Wells. The Flyers also have games remaining at Fryeburg Academy, Sacopee Valley, St. Dom’s and four-time defending Class B champion Yarmouth before closing at home versus York.

“We’ve got another three-game next week, so we’ll have our hands full with that,” Salway said. “Heal Points-wise, we want to move up. We’re finally healthy. We just want to keep going.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

NYA senior Ryan Baker and Waynflete sophomore Aidan Kieffer go up for the ball.

NYA sophomore Reese Merritt and Waynflete sophomore Ben Adey keep their eye on the ball.

Waynflete junior Askar Houssein leaps over NYA junior goalkeeper Julian Etauri.

Waynflete junior Luca Antolini goes airborne to one-time a shot.

Antolini, who played goalie in the first half, makes a save.

Waynflete junior Ian McClure-Chute beats NYA junior goalkeeper Julian Etauri for the winning goal in overtime as senior Finn Murray arrives too late to help.