PORTLAND—North Yarmouth Academy’s girls’ lacrosse team may have plenty of new faces this spring, but the 2023 Panthers picked up right where last year’s state champion left off in their season opener Thursday afternoon at Fore River Fields.

Facing host Waynflete, its longtime rival, NYA fell behind early, 2-0, as Flyers junior Tilsley Kelly scored a pair of goals, but the Panthers rallied to tie the score, 2-2, 3-3 and 4-4. After Kelly seemingly gave her team momentum with a free position goal with just under a minute to play in the first half, NYA answered with just 12 seconds to go on a goal from senior Vy Tran.

The Panthers then scored three quick goals to start the second half to seize control, as Tran, senior Leah Dube and junior Lauryn Casey put the ball in the net in short order.

Waynflete drew back within a goal when sophomore Lydia Birknes scored with 20:49 remaining, but Tran, sophomore Lyla Casey and Dube countered and NYA went on to a 14-8 victory.

Tran led the way with five goals, while Lyla Casey and Dube added four apiece and for the second straight season, the Panthers beat the Flyers to open the season.

“We’re proud of the way we played today,” said Molly Moss-Stokes, NYA’s second-year coach. “I think at first, we were just feeling them out, feeling the season out. We got more confident with our play as the game went on and we picked our opportunities a little better.”

Still a force to be reckoned with

NYA stunned the “experts” a year ago, catching fire late, holding off Waynflete in the quarterfinals, then upsetting Freeport in the semifinals before holding off a furious rally from Wells to win the championship, 12-11, and finish 11-5.

The Panthers then lost a large group to graduation, including Maggie Holt, their standout, who is now playing lacrosse and ice hockey at Western New England University.

Waynflete wasn’t able to repeat a year ago, in large part because top scorer Jesse Connors broke her ankle midway through the season. The Flyers wound up 7-7 after falling in the quarterfinals.

The Flyers and Panthers both expect to be very much in the title hunt this season.

NYA hadn’t beaten Waynflete in a dozen years before sweeping last year’s two meetings (see sidebar for recent results).

A year ago, the Flyers and Panthers opened the season against each other in Yarmouth on a 46-degree, drizzly afternoon.

Thursday was the complete opposite, as it was a glorious, 61-degrees with the sun bathing the turf field.

After a back-and-forth, relatively even first half, NYA controlled play in the second and went on to victory.

Waynflete didn’t have its expected starting goalie, junior Eliza Moorhead, who was out sick, so senior Pippa Huffard got thrown into the fire and the first varsity shot she saw came off the stick of Lauryn Casey 56 seconds in and Huffard made the save.

After the teams traded turnovers in the early going, the Flyers got the season’s first goal with 19:56 to go in the first half, as Kelly scored unassisted.

After Panthers freshman goalie Anaya Roundy saved a shot from Birknes, Kelly scored on a free position with 14:51 on the clock for a quick 2-0 Waynflete lead, forcing Moss-Stokes to call timeout.

It worked, as NYA settled in and got its offense going.

After Huffard robbed Dube on a rush, Dube was awarded a free position and with 12:43 to go before halftime, Dube scored the Panthers’ first goal of the game and season.

It took just 30 seconds for NYA to pull even, as Tran won the ensuing draw, then set up Lyla Casey for her first goal to make it 2-2.

The Flyers retook the lead with 11:38 on the clock, as senior Yen Wilson found Birknes for a goal, but 30 seconds later, after a turnover, Tran scored for the first time, unassisted.

After Huffard kept the game tied by saving a shot from Tran, senior Keegan Dolan gave Waynflete the lead on a free position shot with 6:27 left in the half.

Again, the Panthers countered, as Tran set up Lyla Casey with 4:02 to go.

Kelly’s third goal, off a free position with 57 seconds remaining put the Flyers on top for the final time, but 14 seconds later, Kelly was given a yellow card and had to sit for two minutes.

A two-minute span, which bridged the end of the first half and the start of the second and saw NYA score four times.

With just 12 seconds remaining before the break, Tran was awarded a free position and finished to make it 5-5 at halftime.

The Panthers started the second half fast, as Tran won the draw, then took a pass from senior Harper Fremont-Smith and beat Huffard to put the defending champions ahead to stay just 29 seconds in.

Nineteen seconds later, on the run, Dube found the net and after longtime Waynflete coach Cathie Connors called timeout to no avail, Lauryn Casey had an initial shot saved by Huffard, but she stayed with the play and scored on the rebound to make it 8-5.

The Flyers ended the four-goal run when Kelly scored her final goal, on a free position, with 23:12 on the clock, then after junior Morgan Earls hit the post, Kelly set up Birknes for a goal to cut the deficit to one with 20:49 still to play.

That’s as good as it would get for the home team, however, as NYA put a stranglehold on the game and opened it up.

A Tran free position goal with 18:51 remaining provided some breathing room and Tran set up Lyla Casey for a goal 53 seconds later before Dube’s free position goal with 15:18 left stretched the lead to 11-7.

With 13:42 to go, Kelly set up junior Sasha Melnick for a goal, but that would be it for Waynflete’s offense.

After Roundy saved a Kelly bid to make the game closer, Tran scored on a free position with 9:18 to play, as Huffard made an initial save, but couldn’t prevent the ball from rolling across the line.

With 4:59 remaining, Lyla Casey scored unassisted and 16 seconds later, Dube added an unassisted goal to put it away and the Panthers prevailed, 14-8.

“What I learned a lot from last year was that we have a lot of athleticism, it’s just how we use it,” Tran said. “We just had to motivate each other. Waynflete’s a tough opponent. First game, a lot of new players, we just had to get our wheels on and fight through.”

“I was hopeful,” Moss-Stokes said. “Coming in, you have nerves, but we shook them off and I’m happy with how we came out stronger in the second half.”

Tran led all scorers with five goals and three assists, hinting that she’ll help fill the goals lost with Holt’s departure.

“I was really nervous,” said Tran, who also won 14 of 22 draw opportunities. “It’s my first year without Maggie or the other girls I’ve played with the past few years. I feel a lot of pressure, but I’ve played with that. It’s not easy, but my team is here to help me.”

” Vy absolutely is one of the best players in the state,” Moss-Stokes said. “She’s so important for us. Draw controls are so huge and she plays a major part in that. She’s a known quantity and her looking to set up other people is important so that we can have a team offense.”

Lyla Casey and Dube both scored four times and Lauryn Casey produced the other goal.

Fremont-Smith had one assist.

Roundy saved five shots in her debut.

NYA won 14 of 24 draws, had a 45-35 advantage in ground balls, a 26-16 shots advantage (23-13 on cage) and overcame 24 turnovers.

Waynflete did some positive things in its first outing, but couldn’t possess the ball well enough to stay in it for 50 minutes.

Kelly led the way with four goals and a pair of assists.

“Tilsley really stepped up today,” Connors said.

Birknes added two goals and Dolan and Melnick each had one.

Wilson finished with one assist.

The Flyers got nine saves from Huffard.

“Pippa really did a great job,” Connors said. “She made some great saves.”

Waynflete’s effort was hindered by 28 turnovers.

“We did a lot of good things for a first game, but the yellow cards hurt us, we had too many turnovers and didn’t win draws,” Connors lamented. “A lot of that is fixable. When they went to a stall, we couldn’t respond. We haven’t had a lot of time to work on things.”

Long season ahead

This spring, for the first time, lacrosse consists of 14 countable games, so each team will look to quickly shake off its opening day result and focus on improvement.

Waynflete is back in action next Saturday, the 22nd, at Scarborough.

“We just need more experience,” Connors said. “There are a few things on defense we still have to work on. Things you don’t see in practice.”

NYA plays at Freeport in a postseason rematch Wednesday of next week.

“There are things to work on,” Tran said. “We can get better. It’s only going to go up from here.”

“We’re moving on and looking at Freeport,” Moss-Stokes said. “We’re excited to fine-tune some things. We just have button up a few things as we go.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.

Recent Waynflete-NYA results

2022
@ NYA 10 Waynflete 9 (OT)
Class C state quarterfinal
@ NYA 8 Waynflete 6

2021
@ Waynflete 5 NYA 4

2017
Waynflete 16 @ NYA 2

2016
Waynflete 11 @ NYA 1

2015
Waynflete 13 @ NYA 4 

2014
Waynflete 6 @ NYA 5

2012
@ Waynflete 15 NYA 5
Waynflete 16 @ NYA 7

2011
@ Waynflete 12 NYA 10
Waynflete 17 @ NYA 4

2010
@ NYA 7 Waynflete 6
NYA 8 @ Waynflete 7
Class B Final
NYA 7 Waynflete 3

2009
@ Waynflete 12 NYA 3
Class B Final
Waynflete 9 NYA 5

2008
@ Waynflete 18 NYA 6
@ NYA 10 Waynflete 8
Class B Final
Waynflete 12 NYA 8

2007
@ Waynflete 8 NYA 5
Waynflete 10 NYA 9 (4 OT)

2006
Waynflete 6 @ NYA 1
@ Waynflete 5 NYA 4

2005
@ Waynflete 8 NYA 4
State Final
Waynflete 5 NYA 4 (OT)

2004
NYA 10 @ Waynflete 9
State Final
Waynflete 9 NYA 6

2003
Waynflete 5 @ NYA 4

2002
NYA 8 @ Waynflete 6
Waynflete 7 @ NYA 4

2001
State Final
Waynflete 9 NYA 5

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