JAY — It was one of those moments Sadie Storer couldn’t help thinking about.

With a teammate making a rush down the right wing, Storer waited at the front of the net for her opportunity.

“I was kind of thinking abut it at first, but as it happened, I kind of blanked it out,” Storer said. “It happened so fast.”

In the blink of an eye, Kaylee Leclerc sent a cross from the right side and the sophomore forward was so certain that the ball went into the open net, she let go of her stick and watched it fly into the goal, as well.

That goal, just 22 seconds into the second overtime, lifted Spruce Mountain to a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over Brewer on Tuesday.

“I had a wide open shot,” Storer said. “There was no one covering me. So I just smacked it in.”

The Phoenix outshot the Witches by a wide margin but found themselves behind 2-1 late in regulation.

Brewer nearly had the game finished off, but Amanda Castonguay won control of the ball in the midfield and sent it ahead down the right side for Alex Bessey. With goalie Brooke Richards charging out of the net, Bessey took it from there. She fired a shot from the right wing that got past Richards for the equalizer.

“We had some preseason round robins where the girls came from behind,” Spruce Mountain co-coach Julia Parker said.

One of those preseason games was against Gardiner. The Phoenix were behind for much of the game but rallied in the end to tie it.

“We kept reminding them that this was it,” Spruce Mountain co-coach Jane DiPompo said. “It’s a character builder. Coming from behind is the mark of a good team.”

Spruce Mountain kept the momentum going in overtime. The Phoenix had a number of great chances in the first eight-minute session. Liz Chretien had a shot saved and Morgan Fournier had a bid broken up. The best opportunity came from Bessey, who maneuvered around a defender and had an open look at the goal. Richards came out and managed to make the save and preserve the tie.

In the second overtime, Spruce Mountain needed just one opportunity. Leclerc made her nice run down the right side. With Richards playing aggressive in net and coming out to challenge, Leclerc got the ball in front for Storer.

“It was pretty frustrating at first,” Storer said of falling behind. “We cleared our heads and went back in and played the game and we got it.”

The Phoenix actually had to rally twice. Brewer (1-1) got the first goal with 22:17 left in the first half. Keanna Beal had a hard shot that was saved by Spruce Mountain goalie Grace Ryan. Taylor Banister was there to put in the rebound for the 1-0 lead.

With 12:10 left in the half, the Phoenix tied it. Leclerc had a shot that was saved. Nicole Hamblin was there to put home the rebound for the equalizer. Spruce near scored again late in the half, but Allie Dean cleared the ball from an open goal to maintain the tied.

In the second half, the Phoenix put plenty of pressure on the Witches but couldn’t get the lead goal. Patty Ryan and Emily Hogan had quality shots during that span. The Phoenix outshot Brewer 25-4 in the game and 11-1 in the second half.

With 11:04 left in regulation, it was Brewer that got the lead. Beal had a wrister from the outside and had Rachel Largay in front providing a screen.

The Phoenix responded with more offense but couldn’t finish. Hogan and Fournier each had good shots, and Hamblin had a crack at a loose rebound in front. Brewer did a nice job clearing the ball and blocking shots despite Spruce Mountain’s constant attack.

When the Witches pushed the ball the other way in the final minute, it gave the defense a brief reprieve, but Castonguay got possession of the ball and transitioned it the other way.

Richards finished with 23 saves for Brewer. Ryan had two for Spruce Mountain.

After a win at Camden, the Phoenix are now 2-0 in the KVAC.

“It’s a step up every game,” DiPompo said. “You don’t have that game off in the KVAC. You have to improve every single time you step on the field.”

kmills@sunjournal.com

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