YARMOUTH – Maranacook had its chances early, but Yarmouth capitalized on one of its chances late to end the Black Bears’ hopes of an upset.
Bess Glennon converted a long feed from Jess Martineau with 10:51 remaining in regulation to lift the Clippers to a 1-0 win over Maranacook in a Western Maine Class B soccer semifinal on Wednesday.
“It was just a cross from about 30 yards out, really,” said Yarmouth coach Rich Smith. “Right inside to the 18, and Bess Glennon just kind of one-touched it in, right into the side netting. It really was a beautiful goal.”
Coming off a substitution, Smith’s squad seemed to catch the Black Bears a bit flat-footed. Maranacook keeper Melissa Piper had little chance as she followed the ball across the goalmouth, only to have Glennon deflect the ball on the tip.
“(Piper) and Emma Prysunka, our sweeper, are the two in the first half that kept us in the game,” said Maranacook coach Peter Poulin. “They were playing up at a high level.”
Aside from a few flourishes down low in the early going, and a couple of quick bursts in the latter stages of the first half, the Black Bears barely saw open field between themselves and Yarmouth keeper Abby Bedecs.
“They scored 101 goals this year and only gave up five,” said Smith. “We knew they had some scary people and our defenders, they’ve been outstanding all year. Nicole Simmonds, our sweeper, Abby Bedecs, our senior goalie, Cammy McManus and Abby Saucier, they all were outstanding tonight. They didn’t give them any breathing room at all.”
After managing five shots in the opening half, Maranacook had just two in the second. Yarmouth, meanwhile, followed its 13 in the first with 14 more. Piper finished the game with 14 saves, while Bedecs had five.
“They went to the ball harder than we did,” said Poulin. “They might have been a little quicker overall, but they went to the ball much quicker than we did. We were awfully tentative in the first half it seems like.”
Both coaches conceded that the field, a full regulation-sized field made of artificial turf, may have played a part in the Clippers’ dominance.
“Part of it is the big field, too,” said Poulin, and possibly the play of the field, but they played a much tougher game than we did. At times, we had the play in their end, but it wasn’t enough.”
“I think the home field advantage helped us out a little bit tonight,” agreed Smith. “Playing on our turf, playing on a bigger field. We had a little more team speed.”
Yarmouth advances to Saturday’s Western Maine Class B final.
Comments are no longer available on this story