Yarmouth wins title with Hart

ELLSWORTH – Fans of Yarmouth High School’s girls soccer team were getting downright nervous.

They’d watched their Clippers thoroughly dominate Eastern Maine champ Houlton in the second half, but the two teams were locked in a 1-1 tie. In fact, the only score of the second half had come on Houlton’s only shot of the second half.

Meanwhile, Yarmouth had plastered Houlton’s goal with 17 shots, but had not gotten one in. Then came the 18th.

A late, unassisted goal by senior captain Sarah Hart gave the Yarmouth Clippers a 2-1 win over Houlton in Saturday afternoon’s Class B state championship soccer game at Ellsworth High School’s field.

With only 3 minutes, 7 seconds left in regulation time, Hart got the ball with a clear view of Houlton’s goal from about 30 yards out.

Hart decided to take the shot herself, electing not to wait for a teammate to try and get closer. Hart boomed a high, arcing kick from the middle of the field that just got over lunging Houlton goalie Stacey McNutt and settled into the left corner of the net.

“That’s where you shoot from all season, and I’ve played in tournaments for four years, so that’s where I’ve practiced shooting. That’s my shot,” said Hart.

“I had a feeling it would come down to her. She’s been my best player, and I think the best player in the state,” said Yarmouth coach Rick Smith. “When she scored that goal, we kind of knew we had it.”

Yarmouth scored early on Jaclyn Ouillette’s goal four minutes into the game.

Stacey Mahan blasted a direct kick from the far right side of the field to the Houlton net. Goalie Stacey McNutt came out and deflected the shot. The ball glanced behind her toward the near post and Ouillette was there to kick it in.

Houlton tied the score on the prettiest play of the game.

Angela Merbach got out on a breakaway down the left sideline and delivered a perfect cross to Martha Cowperthwaite, who was nine feet in front of the right goalpost. Cowperthwaite took the pass perfectly, caught the goalie on the left side, and boomed it into the right corner for the score.

It was the first state title in Smith’s eight years at Yarmouth. The Clippers finished the season 14-2-2.

“I’ve wanted to be the coach of the best team in the state for a long time,” he said. “This is our first trip to a state final. We lost in the West final last year. We’ve gotten better each year, and now we’re the best.”

McNutt made 13 saves on 18 shots for the Shiretowners, who finished with a 10-5-3 mark.

“The goaltending and defense was great on both sides, but they were the better team today,” said Houlton coach Bruce Nason.

Yarmouth’s Katherine Lord saved four of Houlton’s five shots.