FORT FAIRFIELD – Despite having just 10 players on its roster, with at times only eight in the field, the Katahdin girls soccer team controlled stretches of Wednesday’s game against Fort Fairfield.

But eventually exhaustion caught up with the Cougars of Sherman Station. It couldn’t have been better timing for the Tigers.

Moments after Katahdin’s Krystal McMoarn scored to tie the game in the second half, Fort Fairfield freshman Keegan O’Neal netted the game-winner with 2:32 left, lifting the Tigers to a 3-2 victory at the high school field.

Katahdin coach David Lavigne said he’ll have a few more players soon, but for now his Cougars (0-2) must make do. Even though they have some good chances late, they were tired, and that allowed for O’Neal’s winner.

The play started at the other end of the field, where Katahdin’s K.C. Duffy-Stanley lofted a near-perfect chip into the goal box. The Cougars were out of position to get off a good shot and Fort Fairfield (3-2-1) cleared the ball to midfield.

After a few passes O’Neal got the ball, dribbled down the right wing at the goal, stopped to set up a shot, and aimed for the net.

“I had one person next to me, and I just shielded her off and went for it,” O’Neal said. “I was thinking, ‘Oh, we need this so bad.’ ”

But Katahdin wasn’t ready for her – some of the Cougars were still running to get back on defense – and O’Neal’s shot went in.

“The endurance is what ended up doing us in,” Lavigne said. “We had the direct kick, we couldn’t get back and they were able to score on it and put the game away.”

McMoarn tied it up with 9:04 left in regulation. She scored both goals for Katahdin, including a first-half goal that gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead.

“[McMoarn] ran circles around us down there,” Tigers coach Jay Edgecomb said. “She’s got an engine that doesn’t quit.”

Kaylee Searles scored to make it 1-1 about 21/2 minutes later when she lofted a shot over Katahdin goalie Jayme Green from about 23 yards out. Ruthie Arato scored from the same distance with 15:54 left in the first half for a 2-1 Fort Fairfield advantage.

Both teams had excellent chances in the second half and combined for 23 shot attempts in that period. The Cougars seemed to control the midfield at times, which may have the been the result of some absent Fort Fairfield starters. Leading scorer Maranda Butler is out sick, Brittany Guiou is dealing with an injured ankle, and Searles left the game with an injury.

“They got a little flat,” Edgecomb said. “They were missing a spark. They were missing Maranda, and they miss having [Guiou and Kaylee Searles].”

Green finished with eight saves on 19 shots. Dani Searles stopped 13 of 21 shots.