By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
FALMOUTH – Saturday’s Class B state championship match pitted the physical play and experience of Western Maine champion Falmouth against the quickness and grittiness of Eastern Maine champion Caribou. In the end, the aggressiveness of the Yachtsmen was too much to overcome as the Vikes fell by a score of 1-0.
Contributed photo/jMavor Photography
Caribou goalkeeper Morgan Swan gets a piece of the ball, but can’t make the save of a penalty kick taken during the second half of Saturday’s match in Falmouth. The goal was the only one of the game as the Yachtsmen claimed the 1-0 victory.
A penalty kick off the foot of Falmouth’s Jessica DiPhilipo with exactly 15 minutes to play in the match was the lone goal of the game. Her game-winning shot was struck to the left of Caribou goalkeeper Morgan Swan, who dove and actually was able to partially deflect the ball, although it still rolled into the corner of the net.
The PK came as a result of what was called an “intentional handball” in the penalty area by Caribou’s Jamie Martin, who was forced to leave the field for the remainder of the game. The Vikings were forced to play shorthanded for the final 15 minutes.
Staff photo/Kevin Sjoberg
Caribou senior Jenna Selander makes a move against Falmouth’s Jessie L’Heureux in Saturday’s match. The Vikings lost, 1-0.
Despite this, Caribou was able to get a shot off with a chance to tie the game, but a direct kick off the foot of junior Paige Small sailed just over the crossbar with 3:30 remaining.
It was the only good scoring opportunity for the Vikes in the second half, who were outshot by a 10-1 margin after intermission. In the first half, however, Caribou may have had the better of the offensive chances.
A shot by Jenna Selander 2:45 into the game from the left side was blocked nicely by Falmouth goalkeeper Elizabeth Estabrook. The team’s second good chance came nine minutes in and was its best, as Olivia Sleeper crossed the ball from the right side onto the foot of Lydia Kieffer in front of the goal, whose quick shot was stopped by Estabrook, who had to slide to the make the play. Selander made another nice scoring bid with 2:30 left in the half, but her shot from 20 yards out was deflected wide of the right post.
“It could have been a different game had we put one of those in,” said Viking coach Todd Albert.
“We created some really good opportunities, but I guess luck wasn’t really on our side,” Selander said. “Maybe a little more towards the corner or a little harder [would have made a difference], but I think everyone gave their all and we can be happy about that and I think we represented Caribou well.”
Falmouth coach Tom Meek was expecting a tough match from the Vikings and got exactly that.
“We knew they were going to work really hard and they did,” Meek said. “They created some opportunities as a result of us maybe not being as tight as we could be at the back. In the end, that hard work early on may have tolled a bit on the Caribou team.”
Falmouth controlled play throughout the second half and beginning at the 23-minute mark and for the ensuing three minutes had a barrage of chances, including three deep throw-ins and three corner kicks delivered by DiPhilipo.
“We started having a difficult time clearing the ball away,” Albert said. “It’s a big field and we may have wore down a bit.”
However, the Caribou defense held strong and kept the game scoreless.
“They did a good job winning balls and putting themselves in good position, containing when they needed to and stepping in when they needed to,” Albert said of his defense, spearheaded by Katie Keaton, Hannah Hebert and Kendra Stephens, among others. “I’m proud of them.”
Freshman Mary Catherine Kowalski had another point-blank shot for the Yachtsmen with 17:30 left, but her attempt was just right of the post. Just 2-1/2 minutes later, after another heavy threat in the Caribou zone which led to the penalty, DiPhilipo made good on the penalty kick.
“The feeling during the course of the game was that is was probably going to come down to one goal,” Meek said. “Fair play to Caribou, they made a long trip to get here but kept working hard and never gave up. They were a worthy opponent.”
Staff photo/Kevin Sjoberg
Caribou’s Jamie Martin outraces a Falmouth player to the ball during Saturday’s state title game played in Falmouth. The Yachtsmen won, 1-0.
DiPhilipo was in the middle of some moments of unsportsmanlike play late in the game. She received a yellow card for taking a mock bow in front of the Caribou bench, directed toward the Vikings’ spectator section, after scoring the goal. Soon after her return to the field for serving the initial penalty, received a red card for pushing Caribou’s Ginger Kieffer, who was also assessed a yellow for retaliating.
Falmouth’s physical play throughout also took its toll on the Vikes.
“I don’t think the game was called as tight as it could have been, it was a little more physical than we’re used to, but the breaks just didn’t go our way,” Albert said.
“It’s all about how the refs want to control the game and these refs were a little more lenient,” Selander said, “but it’s our job to adapt to it and we did our best to do that.”
Caribou finished the season with a 14-3-1 overall record and its first Eastern Maine championship since 1988. The team’s last state title came in 1986.
For Falmouth, the fourth seed in WM Class B, the win gave the school its fourth title in the last six years.
“Our girls played well, [Falmouth] has 28 Premier (Soccer) players and we have zero, so we gave them quite a game,” Albert said.
“It was almost perfect,” was Selander’s assessment of the season. “We had home advantage throughout the [Eastern Maine] playoffs, and with winning [regionals] on our home field, we had a lot to be proud of and I’m glad I got to be on this team.”
