AUBURN – Matt Downs could see stunned looks on the faces of his Traip Academy teammates. He saw the their frustration and disappointment.

St. Dom’s had just tied its Western C semifinal late in regulation Wednesday and had seized all momentum. Downs told his team not to worry, he’d take care of it.

“I saw that our team was real let down,” said the senior midfielder. “I looked at them and said, ‘It’s not over, I’m about to score this goal.'”

Just 32 seconds after Casey Parker’s equalizer, Downs stunned the Saints with the game-winner with 2:21 left in regulation. Downs’ second goal of the game lifted the eighth-ranked Rangers to a 3-2 win and a trip to the regional final Friday at North Yarmouth Academy.

“We’ve been preaching during this whole stretch run never to get up too high and never to get too low,” said Traip coach Paul Marquis. “Soccer is a crazy game. Emotion is a big part of it, and sometimes the emotion can be a negative. That was running in the back of their heads, don’t get too low, and they responded.”

Parker had given the fifth-ranked Saints (9-3-4) new life with 2:53 left in regulation. A cross from Ben Randall in the right corner was bobbled by Traip keeper Connor Kuehl. Parker was there to head in the loose ball.

The momentum switch didn’t last long. Ryan Birse had a dead ball from about 40 yards out. His offering found the head of Downs in front.

“You couldn’t ask for a better ball from Ryan Birse,” said Downs. “It was right on my head and no one was around me.”

It was a stunning turn of events for the Saints, which were outshot 22-9 in the game.

“That’s tough,” said St. Dom’s assistant coach Matt Erickson. “It was a fantastic game. Traip is a tremendous team.”

St. Dom’s had lost to Traip 6-0 early in the year and won at home, 3-2. The Rangers (12-5) came out flying and got the early goal just 7:27 into play. Tyler Metevier’s pass from the right side was put in by Downs in front. It was the first time in six games that the Saints had not scored a goal in the opening minutes of play.

“I’ve never won up here in my four years,” said Downs. “Everytime it’s like they come out and score the first goal, and we have to battle back. I was just trying to make a difference in the first 10 minutes and put it all on the line.”

Traip outshot St. Dom’s 9-1 through the first 22 minutes of play but couldn’t add to the lead. Instead, the Saints tied it with 15:40 left in the half. Kuehl made a diving save. He had a hand on the ball, but Greg Barlion kicked it away from him for the goal, prompting Marquis to argue that Kuehl had possession.

“We were real happy (to be 1-1 at the half),” said Erickson. “(St. Dom’s coach Lee Hixon) and I talked if we could have them 1-1 at the end of the half, we’d have the wind with us, and things would look good for us in the second half.”

The Saints could not build off that small victory. Traip continued to produce quality shots and took the lead with 18:40 left. Birse made a nice pass from the left side for a charging Metevier on the right wing.

“We had some loose markings on some of their goals,” said Erickson. “One of their goals was great, but two of their goals, we had loose markings, and they got to the inside of our defenders.”