Grace O’Donnell netted six goals — including three in the first seven minutes — and keeper Mary Kate Gunville stopped a pair of key shots as time ran from the clock in the second half to help the Clippers to a 13-10 win over Cape Elizabeth at Fitzpatrick Stadium. The title is Yarmouth’s fourth in Class B and fifth overall since the Maine Principals’ Association began sanctioning the sport in 1998.

“We only have five seniors who played (in the state title game) last year,” Yarmouth coach Dorothy Holt said. “It was important for them to be leaders out there.”

The Clippers needed every bit of senior leadership in the game’s final five minutes. Leading 12-3 with 15:33 to play, Yarmouth started to ease off the gas pedal, and the Capers took full advantage. Kristen Rudberg made it 12-4 at 12:13, and then Cape senior standout Abigail McInerney took over, scoring four consecutive goals in 4:21 to pull the Capers within four at 12-8.

Lane Simsarian stemmed the Cape tide briefly, notching a Yarmouth marker with 1:23 to play to extend the lead back to five.

But even that goal and the small numbers on the clock didn’t thwart McInerney, who added another pair in the final 1:08.

She had three more chances, as well, one of which sailed wide of the cage. Two others were on target, forcing Gunville to make the saves.

“She made two outstanding saves at the end to really help us out,” Holt said.

It looked early as though Gunville would have an easy go of it. Simsarian scored less than a minute into the contest, and O’Donnell went off for three in a row as the Clippers built a 4-0 advantage.

McInerney’s first two of the game cut the Yarmouth lead in half, but the Clippers replied with five of the next six goals to reach a six-goal lead by halftime.

“They played a phenomenal first half and put us right on our heels from the beginning,” Perkins said. “We had to play catch-up, and that’s not necessarily our game plan.”

After a slower start to the second stanza, the Clippers added three more to make it 12-3, forcing the Capers into desperation mode.

“We knew the first part of that second half, they were stalling and trying to take time off the clock,” Perkins said. “It’s great that the score was that close, but it was two different halves, for sure.”

A mainstay in the boys’ tourney with eight state titles since the MPA began sanctioning the tourney, Cape Elizabeth was searching for its first girls’ state crown.

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