Last year, it came easily.
This time, Waynflete’s boys’ lacrosse team got pushed to the brink, but once again the Flyers are Class C state champions.
Friday evening at Fitzpatrick Stadium, the sixth-seeded Flyers were forced into overtime when they surrendered the tying goal to Chas Rohde of top-seeded North Yarmouth Academy with just 2.2 seconds remaining in regulation. But sophomore Jacob Wooodman scored an unassisted goal in the second overtime to produce a 9-8 Waynflete victory in one of the most memorable state finals in recent vintage.
Waynflete (11-5), which doesn’t have a senior on its roster, won Class C for the third time since 2018.
“This game was special,” said Flyers Coach Andrew Leach. “This is the classic game that we wanted, playing against our rival in a state championship game in double-overtime. It was incredible.”
The Flyers started fast, with Roan Hopkins scoring the first of his four goals 45 seconds in.
After NYA (11-4) tied it up on a goal from Brayden Warde, Seth Cloutier put the Flyers back on top, but Caleb Waterman made it 2-2.
Hopkins and Nico Kirby then scored in succession for Waynflete, before a goal from Warde with 28 seconds left in the first quarter pulled the Panthers within one.
NYA wouldn’t score again in the first half, but Waynflete couldn’t expand its lead after Hopkins got his third goal just six seconds into the second quarter to make it 5-3.
The Panthers then roared out of the gate in the second half, getting goals from Elliott Oney, Rohde and Waterman to take their only lead of the game.
Waynflete snapped an 18-minute scoring drought on Hopkins’ fourth goal midway through the third quarter, and the game went to the fourth deadlocked.
Kirby scored twice in a 59-second span to seemingly put Waynflete on the brink the championship, but two unassisted goals by Rohde in the final minute of regulation improbably forced overtime.
“We have a lot of guys who can score, but under pressure, Chas is the guy,” said NYA Coach Peter Gerrity.
After each team failed to score in the first four-minute overtime, Flyers goalie Avi Israel (14 saves) denied Nick Pelletier in the second overtime and Waynflete transitioned to offense.
Then, out of a timeout, Woodman fired a shot past NYA goalie Jack Curtis (four saves) to set off a delirious celebration.
“I don’t even know what to say,” Woodman said. “I was just trying to go low and as I shot, I knew it was going in.”
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