Wayneflete’s Kilee Sherry, left, and Oak Hill’s Audrey Bauer attempt to control the ball during Friday afternoon’s game in Wales. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
WALES — Waynflete co-coach Carrie Earls stressed two things to her team after a scoreless first half, and the Flyers went out and executed both to perfection.
Waynflete was anything but perfect during the regular season, but the 12th-seeded Flyers put all the pieces together to spring a 1-0 upset over fifth-seeded Oak Hill in a Class C South girls soccer preliminary game Friday.
“We didn’t have nearly as many shots as we wanted to put on goal in the first half,” Earls said. “We’ve heard great things about their keeper, so (we were) just trying to test her and stay composed in the back.”
It wasn’t the toughest test that finally eluded Raiders (11-4) goalie Paige Gonya for the game-winner, but it proved to be the most elusive.
Oak Hill defender Emily Dillman had just beaten Flyers (3-9-3) freshman midfielder Devan Sherry to a ball in the corner and got off a contested clear, but Waynflete’s Lucy Goodman trailed the play and sent an open shot from 25 yards out toward the goal. The lofted shot sailed over the head of a drawn-out Gonya and into the top-left of the goal with 29:29 left in the game.
“I think it’s really just always worth it. You got to go for it,” Goodman said. “And I think that’s just how I was feeling. I’ve been out for a little while, so I kind of just was like, ‘Why not take the chance?’ And it was awesome. It went right in.”
Goodman said she “really never” thought the shot was going in. In fact, she intended to cross the ball, but the “completely missed” attempt went in.
“It was a great shot, one that I think just kind of drifted up and over,” Oak Hill coach Jeremy Young said. “(Paige) has been huge all year long. You hate to see it, but if we’re going to get beat that’s the kind of ball that was going to do it.
“I don’t want to call it a ‘fluke’ shot, but certainly kind of one-in-a-million, I guess.”
Wayneflete’s Freya Lutz-Mountain and Oak Hill’s Elise Worth struggle for control of the ball during Friday afternoon’s game in Wales. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
The Flyers nearly doubled their lead less than a minute later, but Gonya made a point-blank stop on Lucy Sarno and Raiders defender Alexis Finn made a goal-line leg save on the rebound chance.
The Raiders put together a few opportunities to net the equalizer, most notably by applying heavy pressure in the Waynflete 18-yard box with three minutes to play, but Flyers goalie Jesse Connors ended the threat with a save of a shot by Julia Noel.
“Our goalie came up huge. She stayed composed,” Earls said. “And our defense, we’ve got four seniors back there, so they just held it together for us.”
Sophi Aronson and Clara Sandberg spearheaded the shutout from the Flyers’ defense. Aronson shadowed the Raiders’ strikers from her stopper spot, while Sandberg acted as a “center fielder,” according to Young, and cleared away Oak Hill’s long send-ins.
Connors made 10 saves for the shutout, while Gonya turned away eight shots.
The upset-minded Flyers next continue their playoff run at No. 4 Maranacook in the regional quarterfinals. The Black Bears defeated Telstar 9-0 on Friday.
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