NORTHPORT – The matchup for this season’s Class D girls state championship game was the same as last year’s: Eastern Maine champion Lee was set to face Western Maine winner Waynflete Saturday afternoon.

The Pandas had no idea what to expect from the Flyers of Portland, who lost seven starters from the 2002 title team.

But Waynflete knew just what it was going to see: a healthy dose of Lee’s Shelby Pickering.

The junior striker came through for the undefeated Pandas as they avenged last fall’s shutout loss with a 4-0 victory at Point Lookout field.

Pickering scored three goals and assisted on the fourth to power Lee to its first state soccer crown. Given that the Pandas were playing in their third state final in as many years – and they would be facing a team that beat them 3-0 last year – the desire for a championship was strong.

“We really, really wanted it this year,” said Pickering, who finished the season with 57 goals. “We knew if we came out and played hard we could win it. And that’s what we did. We came out and played hard.”

Waynflete (11-4) dominated much of the play, but couldn’t stop Lee from scoring on set plays and restarts. The 18-0 Pandas used a penalty kick, a direct kick and a corner kick to score their first three goals.

Pickering’s first goal, which proved to be the game-winner, was in a way the result of what the Flyers wanted to do against the sure-footed forward.

Waynflete stopper Betsey Critchfield had the job of marking Pickering with occasional double-team help. Critchfield stayed tight on her mark, just as she should have, and that resulted in a pushing foul in the penalty area with 14 minutes and five seconds left in the first half. Pickering shot the ensuing penalty kick into the lower right side of the goal, out of the reach of Waynflete goalie Eliza Timpson (one save on five shots).

About eight minutes later Pickering set up a direct kick on the left side from about 30 yards out. The kick sailed at the net and went through Timpson’s hands to give the Pandas a 2-0 lead at halftime.

Although Lee was ahead, the Pandas still had trouble mounting offensive runs. They relied on the defense as the Flyers kept up the pressure with Kim Ortengren, Allie Gips and leading scorer Linden Ellis (seven goals) making runs in the middle and up the wings.

“They tried to play wide, suck us out and draw us in,” said senior fullback Cassandra Thompson. “Mostly we tried to keep a few of us wide and watch for the crosses, make sure they didn’t sneak by us.”

But as has happened several times this season – notably in the Eastern Maine final against Greenville – Lee rallied from poor first half play.

“They played us well,” Waynflete coach Drew Dubuque said. “They bent, but they didn’t break. They did those [set plays] to perfection. That’s soccer. I was little surprised by the 4-0 score, but I was very pleased with how we played today.”

Marci Moors used her knee to skim in a Pickering corner kick about halfway through the second period, and Pickering finally got loose for a breakaway goal with 15:34 left in the game. Ashlee Gifford, Pickering’s front-line teammate, had the initial pass up to her.

Waynflete had plenty of chances, but Lee goalie Jackie Moors (nine saves on 12 shots) made the difference. Ellis, who has been dealing with a knee injury and didn’t start Saturday, got her head on a Gips corner with about 18 minutes left in the game but Moors, Marci Moors’ twin sister, tipped the ball safely away.