Cape Elizabeth just pulled off a wild 3-2 victory over the sixth-seeded York High School boys soccer team in the Class B South semifinal, and honestly, it felt like the clock struck midnight right on Halloween for York. Cape Elizabeth, the No. 7 seed, absolutely exploded in the opening 23 minutes, finding the back of the net three times. Talk about putting a team on its heels!
The Early Barrage and a Quick Response
The Capers wasted no time, applying offensive pressure right from the whistle. Max Nudd broke the seal just 2 minutes and 46 seconds into the game, giving Cape Elizabeth a quick 1-0 lead. But hold up, York wasn’t just gonna roll over. Barely six minutes later, Zach Tremblay curled a corner kick that somehow snuck past Cape Elizabeth goalie Cam Branch, tying the game up with 31:20 still on the clock in the first half. What a wild start!
But then Max Hayward took over, and things got tricky fast. Hayward launched a long throw-in that flew all the way to the York net. York goalie Orrin Culp-Dechant leaped for it, but it glanced off his fingertips and went in, putting Cape Elizabeth up 2-1 with 29:50 left in the half. York coach Julie Johnson later said, “We knew they had that long throw as a weapon. We knew it was dangerous, and preparing for something like that is tricky, because it’s unpredictable. It got us in the first half, but we sorted it out in the second half.” And then, just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, Hayward struck again with a direct kick from about 24 yards out with 17:32 remaining in the first half, extending Cape Elizabeth’s lead to a brutal 3-1. That’s three goals in just over 22 minutes. Ouch.
Fighting Until the Final Second
Despite facing a two-goal deficit, York settled down defensively after that third goal. They started creating opportunities, though sustaining pressure against Cape Elizabeth’s defense was tough, with most of the game turning into a midfield battle. But Zach Tremblay, man, he wasn’t done! He gave York a massive jolt early in the second half, taking a pass from Aiden Mello and scoring with 31:37 left to pull the Wildcats within one, making it 3-2. That’s the kind of fight you love to see!
The Wildcats battled until literally the final seconds. They even earned a free kick with only three seconds remaining, a chance to find that equalizer and force overtime. But it just wasn’t meant to be, and their postseason run came to a heartbreaking end. Coach Johnson summed it up perfectly, saying, “This has been a really special group, and the entire coaching staff just told them how lucky we feel that we got to be a part of this run with them.” York finished their incredible season at 8-6-2, the same record as Cape Elizabeth, who now moves on to the regional final. It was a tough loss, especially after knocking off No. 3 Greely in the quarterfinals. What a run, York! You left it all out there.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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