HAMPDEN, Maine — The Hermon High School girls soccer team found themselves in unfamiliar territory in Saturday’s State Class B soccer game against Yarmouth at the Hampden Academy field.
The Hawks, who had lost to Cape Elizabeth 4-0 and 3-0 in the last two state games, were ahead 2-0 on goals by Natalie Tardie and Lyndsee Reed.
But Boston College-bound striker Ava Feeley robbed the Hawks of their first state title.
Feeley’s lethal left foot found the Hermon net from 35 and 45 yards to tie it and finished off her memorable performance with a tap in off Macy Gilroy’s corner kick with 12:21 left in double overtime to give Yarmouth a 3-2 victory and its first state title since 2017.
Yarmouth finished at 15-3 and Hermon wound up 17-1.
She began the comeback with 7:53 left in the first half when she sailed her 35-yarder just under the crossbar and over the hands of Bella Bowden, who had no chance.
“I love it when I get some space and can take a touch and shoot it,” Feeley said.
Credit: Kim Higgins / BDN
She tied it with just 49.9 second left in the half when she pounced on a Hermon turnover and lofted one past Bowden from 45 yards out.
“She has a great left foot,” said Hermon’s Reed. “There’s not much you can do about those.”
Bowden made a pair of terrific saves off Feeley in the first overtime and, in between the saves, she rattled a shot off the crossbar.
“Ava is a world class player. She is, hands down, the best player in the state,” said Yarmouth coach Andy Higgins.
Bowden again made a gem of a save in the second OT, getting her right hand on Taylor Oranellas’ shot from inside the area and deflecting it over the bar.
But on the ensuing corner kick, Gilroy threaded the needle with the corner kick to the far post when Feeley directed it into the net with her left foot from point-blank range.
It was her 34th goal of the season.
“Our connection on the field is unbelievable,” said Feeley of Gilroy. “Her placement was perfect. I am so proud of her. She made it easy for me.”
Ava said Hermon’s two goals were a wake-up call.
“We knew they were really good. We worked so hard to get to this point so we weren’t going to give up. I am so proud of everyone on the team,” said Feeley, who felt Bowden turned in an outstanding game in goal for Hermon.
She finished with eight saves on 28 shot attempts.
Hermon opened the scoring just under three minutes into the game when Reed’s shot from the right side spun across the goalmouth to the far post where freshman Natalie Tardie tracked it down and tucked a left-footed shot inside the far post for her 15th goal of the season.
Thirteen minutes, Yarmouth goalie Regan Sullivan suffered a possible concussion in a collision with Reed and had to be replaced by Eden Young.
Young had no chance on Reed’s goal as a perfectly placed free kick by Ally Coxson into the middle of the penalty area found Reed between defenders and Reed calmly headed the ball into the corner to the left of Young for her 41st of the season and 103rd of her career.
Young finished with four saves on 10 shot attempts after Sullivan didn’t have any on three attempts.
Young made a game-saving stop with 1:20 left in regulation on a point-blank attempt by Megan Dorr.
“It was heartbreaking,” said Hermon coach M.J. Ball. “We started the game out really strong and went up 2-0. We knew [Feeley] was dangerous and she got that one from 35 yards. That was tough. We started to play panic ball a little and there was a loose ball that popped to her and she hits it again, this time from 45 yards out.”
He added that while those two goals hurt, Hermon and Yarmouth battled back and forth in the second half and while his team had chances, it couldn’t finish.
“This is going to sting and hurt but I’m proud of the girls and the effort they put in,” Ball said. “It was a great game by both teams. I would rather lose a game playing well than lose a game and play awful.”
“Even though we lost, to get to double overtime after losing 4-0 and 3-0 in our other two states games is something to be proud of. We kept pushing,” said Hermon senior midfielder Allie Cameron.
