The Eagles never held the lead, but scraped back in the fourth quarter to even the game and force overtime. When a first extra session did nothing to end the contest, Windham made sure the second would do it.

Zack Callahan scored the game-winning goal just over a minute into the second overtime to give Windham an 8-7 victory over Lewiston in the teams’ Class A North boys’ lacrosse quarterfinal at Don Roux Field.

Zach Hough was the sixth-ranked Eagles’ (9-4) offensive spark all game, scoring six goals, but he was denied by Lewiston goalie Bryan Wagg one minute into double overtime. Windham kept possession, and 24 seconds later Zack Callahan found an opening from the left side and beat Wagg to win the game.

“He plays sometimes this backseat role almost,” Windham coach Pete Small said. “Today he quaterbacked our offense. We needed him to step up.”

The sudden-death situation was made possible by a late comeback by the Eagles. Hough scored with 25 seconds left in regulation to knot the game 8-8.

“They never quit on each other,” Small said. “We’ve got a group of 14 seniors that have played together now for a couple years and I think they’ve developed … a trust of each other. They’ve developed this play-from-behind mentality throughout the year.”

The game was scoreless after one period, but the third-seeded Blue Devils (9-4) got on the sboard less than one minute into the second. Jayden Wilson found Roman Dennis for a goal. Wilson then tallied a goal of his own less than five minutes into the second, with Griffin Wade providing the assist.

Hough cut the lead in half 30 seconds later, but Alex Rivet regained the two-goal lead to make it 3-1 Lewiston at the half.

Wade found Wilson again 22 seconds into the third, then Tanner Cortes found Rivet to make it 5-1 for the Blue Devils’ biggest lead of the game.

The Eagles stormed back, however, scoring the final three goals of the third — two from Hough, one from Callahan — to cut it to 5-4.

Lewiston scored in the first minute of a period once again, with Wilson feeding Gunnar Wade 21 seconds into the fourth. The two switched places for a man-up goal 65 seconds in.

Wilson scored a hat trick and assisted on three other goals in the game.

“Jayden’s just a great player, a great, smart, all-around player,” Lewiston coach Ben Fournier said.

Windham tied the game up by the eight-minute mark of the fourth, with Hough sandwiching goals around a Thomas Lekousi tally.

Wilson hooked up with Gunnar Wade for the go-ahead goal with just over two minutes to play in regulation. The Blue Devils gained possession soon after the ensuing faceoff and tried to run the clock out, but like all game long, they turned the ball over.

Wagg stopped a Hough shot with 45 seconds left, but couldn’t do the same 20 seconds later.

“A great player is going to get his hands free a couple times and (Hough) did,” said Fournier, who applauded Tom Jumper’s effort defending Hough for much of the game.

Wagg did his part in crunch time, too, making seven saves combined in the fourth quarter and two overtimes.

“Wagg was huge for us,” Fournier said. “Wagg’s the type of goalie where he makes a save and the whole team just gets electrified.”

Hough’s scoring gave the Eagles even more of a jolt, and they used the comeback to take momentum into the extra sessions. Windham held a 4-1 advantage in shots on goal in the overtimes.

“We were down by three, climbed back into it, and I think they kind of felt they had the momentum coming,” Small said.

“They kept playing hard all game. And that’s a testament to their team,” Fournier said of Windham. “They never gave up, they kept coming at us, kept coming at us the whole time.

“I’m proud of my team. They played hard the entire game. I mean two overtimes, their tongues were hanging out but they were still plugging away, they were still going out them. I couldn’t ask for more out of my guys.”

Windham advances to the semifinals, where the Eagles will face No. 2 Messalonskee on Saturday.

wkramlich@sunjournal.com

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