PORTLAND — For 80 minutes, Camden Hills threw everything it had at the Gorham goalkeeper Emma Smith to no avail.

In overtime, the Windjammers finally got a shot to go.

Charlotte Messer’s shot floated over Smith’s head at 5:14 of the first extra session to help North champion Camden Hills clinch its first Class A girls’ state championship, 1-0 over the South champion Rams.

The goal came off the Windjammers’ fifth corner kick of the contest.

“Shoot it, that was going through my head,” Messer said. “After, it was a different thought. It was kind of, ‘Oh my Lord, did that just happen?'”

Messer was indeed happy for herself and for her teammates, but also especially for her mother, Meredith Messer, the team’s coach.

Meredith, meanwhile, is elated to see the players she’s been coaching for many years achieve this level of success.

“It’s really special because my daughter is on the team,” Meredith Messer said. “I’ve had these girls since the U9 (level). That makes it even sweeter. I am just proud for them.”

The Rams (16-1-1) relied on Smith in the first half as the Windjammers controlled possession. She had to make five saves, including a big save off a Charlotte Messer header about 15 minutes into the game.

Smith made ten saves in the game.

“She was phenomenal,” Gorham coach Jeanne Zarrilli said. “She has led this team as a senior captain in front of the goal.”

Messer also had another prime scoring chance in the open half as her free kick from about 25 yards out just went wide of the goal.

The game plan was to attack Smith.

“We scored 107 goals this season, so we know how to score,” Meredith Messer said. “That was our plan: do what we do (best).”

Gorham didn’t have many chances offensively, with only three shots, but almost capitalized on a defensive breakdown by Camden Hills (17-1-0). A Camden Hills defender thought goalkeeper Isabelle Lang was going to come out to play the ball. A Gorham player and Lang came together as the ball deflected off their bodies over the net.

The Rams found their offensive rhythm with five minutes remaining in the first half as they pushed the ball up the field.

Despite the late charge, Zarrilli couldn’t wait for halftime.

“We were ball watching and we needed to start covering the pass,” Zarrilli said. “I think we did a better job in the second half.”

Gorham continued to control the play to start the second half. They had a couple chances that just missed. Emily Esposito booted one from 35 yards out that just went over the net. Hallie Shiers had a free kick from an angle 20 yards out. The ball almost curled in.

Smith was also outstanding the second half as she had to come out and make a challenge in the opening two minutes. She also stopped Kristina Kelly as she disrupted Kelly enough to not get a strong shot off. The shot tricked to goal where a Gorham defender cleared it.

The Rams had a couple of chances in the final two minutes. A Camden Hills defender cleared the ball at the last second.

“It was really frustrating,” Zarrilli said of the second half. “I wish the game hadn’t ended, I wish we could have gone right into overtime. We had the momentum I think.”

nfournier@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link