TOPSHAM — In a game where neither Mt. Ararat or Lewiston produced a golden scoring opportunity, Eagles forward Erin Tome for the first time found room among the stellar Blue Devil defenders.

Tome didn’t miss her chance, putting home a rising shot underneath the crossbar with 2:04 remaining in the second overtime for a 1-0 Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference girls’ high school soccer win.

The victory gives Mt. Ararat a 6-1-1 mark, while hard-luck Lewiston, which has dropped two double-overtime contests in its last three games, fell to 3-4-1.

Tome said she found a sliver of room and took advantage of the rare opportunity in a tight defensive battle.

“It was getting close to the end, so I decided to shoot even though I considered crossing it because I didn’t have a good angle. But, the shot went in,” said Tome.

Scoring has been a problem of late for the Eagles. Despite a big edge in shots Tuesday against Oxford Hills, Mt. Ararat scored just once in a 1-0 win.

“We played a great game today after not playing our best,” Mt. Ararat coach Sam Chard said. “We definitely turned it around today.”

This was Lewiston’s fourth consecutive overtime game. The Blue Devils defeated Edward Little, lost to Mt. Blue and tied Brunswick at home on Tuesday before Thursday’s tough loss.

“I am very proud of this team, having played four straight overtime games, so the wins that we have are huge. But, the two losses came in the last couple minutes and they sting,” said Lewiston coach Brant Remington, whose Blue Devils host Cony on Tuesday. “This team has so much heart right now, and I would match them up with anybody heart for heart.”

Midfield vs. defense

The first half turned into a battle between Mt. Ararat’s strong midfield of Torri Pelletier, Kaitlyn Cox and Nikki Bradstreet against the Lewiston defensive unit led by sweeper Morgan Eliasen. In the game’s opening 10 minutes, neither team had an opportunity to unleash a shot.

The Eagles picked up their possession game from there, firing five shots toward Lewiston goaltender Kelsey St. Cyr, who picked up four saves in the opening frame. A key matchup was Eliasen against Pelletier, along with the solid marking provided by Lewiston’s Taylor Chamberlain on the speedster Bradstreet.

“We made an adjustment at half to get a little bit more offense, but they moved Pelletier to forward, so we had to adjust again,” Remington said. “In overtime, they switched Bradstreet to the middle. Taylor Chamberlain marked her speed for speed on the outside. Taylor is not a natural defender, but she has such great speed. She is versatile.”

“The midfield played much, much better today,” said Chard of his Eagles. “We played some different people there and tried some different formations.”

Lewiston pumped up its offensive attack in the second half, led by Adela Kalilwa, who helped the Blue Devils earn four second-half corner kicks. Mt. Ararat goaltender Kate Guerin faced the game’s best scoring chance in regulation when Lewiston’s Kristina Blais broke in alone with 25:30 remaining. Guerin smothered the shot to keep the game scoreless.

After 80 minutes of soccer, neither team produced a scoring threat in the first five-minute overtime. But, Tome didn’t miss her chance in the second extra frame. She gathered the ball near midfield and beat a pair of Lewiston’s defenders before her shot ended the contest.

“This is a huge win, and they knew that they were playing well along with Lewiston. It was great to get a win out of it,” said Chard. “Lewiston has a great defense and they played hard, but sometimes speed takes over. It was the best game my girls have played this season.”

Remington feels his team’s play of late has opened opponents’ eyes in the KVAC. He feels the Blue Devils will once again be a tough out after advancing to the postseason last year.

“When playoffs seedings come out, nobody will want us,” the Lewiston coach said. “Last year we made the quarters. These seniors deserve this.”

Mt. Ararat held a 13-10 shot advantage. St. Cyr turned aside five shots. The Eagles finished with a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.