HIRAM — The Old Orchard Beach girls soccer team had every reason to just pack it in for its regular season finale on Monday. The Seagulls had already secured a home playoff game and had to travel to Sacopee Valley, in the rain, with no substitutes. But the Seagulls persevered, and with all 11 starters playing the whole game, they hung on to tie the Hawks 1-1.
Sacopee Valley came out as the aggressors for its senior night and last home game of the season. The Hawks put three shots on goal in the first 11 minutes of the game, with the last one, a shot by Morgan Carpenter, which Seagull goalie Jaclyn MacDonald had to punch away to keep the net clear.
MacDonald had to make another save just two minutes later, as she leapt to knock Brooke Totman’s free kick over the crossbar. MacDonald’s heroics in goal kept the Seagulls in the game through a sluggish start.
“Jaclyn did awesome. There’s one or two saves every single game,” said Old Orchard Beach head coach Heath Floyd. “She’s a warrior back there. She’s a little dinged up. Just does a great job making the saves that she needs to make to keep us in it.”
Just about everyone on the team is banged up as the Seagulls gear up for the postseason. It has forced Floyd’s hand as to who plays and how many minutes, but tonight he had a reserve make arguably the biggest play of the game.
The Seagulls got a corner kick at the 22:24 mark of the second half with the game scoreless, and Amy Twohig sent the ball toward the goal. Mae Toohey redirected the ball into the net to put the Seagulls up 1-0.
Not only was it Toohey’s first goal of the season, but it was also the senior’s first goal of her career.
“It felt pretty awesome. Like, amazing,” said Toohey.
“For her to get her first career goal ever on that corner kick, being in the right spot, a little deflection, it was awesome for her,” said Floyd. “I’m so happy that she could experience that in her last regular season game.”
The lead didn’t last, however, as Sacopee Valley also scored via the corner kick. With 15 minutes to go, Morgan Sanborn found herself all alone on the backside of the 18 as the kick made it through a scrum in front of the net. Sanborn fed the ball to Brittany Ryan, who slipped it inside the left post for the equalizer.
Twohig and Abby Dubois both had multiple chances at the end of regulation and overtime, but couldn’t convert. MacDonald had to make one final save, stuffing Kayla Brown on a breakaway with one minute to go in the second overtime to secure the tie.
“It was awesome. For us to do that with 11 girls, I’m very proud of them, and really impressed with the way they played and just gutted it out and got it done,” said Floyd. “I’ll take a tie in that situation anytime.”
— Contact Wil Kramlich at 282-1535, Ext. 323 or follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.
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