BATH – The tears the Belfast Lions shed after falling to Yarmouth 2-1 Saturday in a state Class B girls soccer final decided on the 10th round of penalty kicks represented the emotion of the moment, to be sure.

Such is sudden death, where victory and defeat are volatile sensations that come and go with each pressure-packed opportunity. But long-term memories of this marathon match likely will recall something much more positive for a Belfast program making its first appearance in a state championship match.

“It was probably the best game I’ve ever seen or coached,” said Belfast coach Don Hoenig. “I remember when the NCAA a couple of years ago declared co-champions because the final game went on tied for so long, and sometimes I wonder if in a situation like this that that might be the right thing to do.

“But I have no argument with the system, because we were ahead a couple of times during penalty kicks and [Yarmouth] came through.”

After an afternoon spent battling wind, cold, shadows, fatigue and an unwilting opponent, Yarmouth emerged victorious when senior Lyndsey Corkum scored the game-winner on a penalty kick Belfast goalie Bryna Harrington deflected, but could not stop.

“It came down to me,” said Corkum, a reserve who hadn’t played since early in the match. “My coach came out and told me to be confident, and I just went out and did it. “I always have a certain spot I’m going to, on the upper left side, and that’s where it went.”

After playing to a 1-1 stalemate through 80 minutes of regulation play and four 10-minute sudden-death overtimes, the teams each scored twice during the initial five-round penalty-kick phase. Kailin Murphy and Caitlin Cross scored for Belfast, while Emily Johnson and Maggie Dunlap scored for Yarmouth.

Belfast’s Lindsey Bryant and Yarmouth?s Julia Jones swapped goals in Round 6, the first sudden-death round, and Emily Worth of Belfast and Yarmouth goalie Kelsey Harlow-Nash scored in Round 8. After Belfast’s Audrey Jarrett and Yarmouth’s Melissa Moylan scored in Round 9, Corkum unwrapped herself from a blanket and ended this match – three hours after it began.

“It couldn’t have happened to a better person,” said Yarmouth coach Rick Smith, whose program won its first state title since 1995. “She’s our only non-starting senior, and she had only played about three minutes. But when it was her turn she made the shot.”

For most of this match, the story was Harrington’s work in goal. The junior made 21 saves, and was particularly brilliant in the second half when she made a series of stops against a relentless Clippers offense playing with the wind at its back.

“Their goalie was fantastic,” said Smith. “We had three, four or five chances in the second half, but she kept it out of the goal. In the second half we kept coming at them, but their goalie kept coming up big.”

Bryant gave Belfast a 1-0 lead 7:49 into the contest, gaining control of a loose ball in the goal crease and scoring past Harlow-Nash for her school-record 35th career goal. Yarmouth (14-1-3) countered with solid play into the wind, finally cashing in with 14:58 left in the half when Shannon Gildart stole a clearing pass and fed Stephanie Whittaker for a one-timer into the net.

It was the first goal Belfast (16-2) had allowed in post-season play, and the last goal Harrington, who entered the match with 15 shutouts, would allow during the flow of play.

“She kept us in the game and gave us an opportunity to get to overtime,” said Hoenig.