Daphne Murphy scores the winning goal.
Junior striker Daphne Murphy scored on a rebound in the second overtime period as Orono won its first Class C girls’ soccer state championship by defeating Waynflete School 3-2 Saturday at Presque Isle Middle School.
The teams had played in the state championship game just two years ago, with the Flyers pulling out a 3-2 double-overtime victory over the Red Riots. Waynflete had also defeated Orono for the state title in 2008.
But this one belonged to the Red Riots, who had lost their three previous trips to the final.
With Orono pressing in the second overtime, Waynflete goalkeeper Ali Pope had made a save off a header in close. But the ball bounded free and Murphy was there to knock it in.
“They put the opportunity away,” said Todd Dominski, coach of the Flyers. “That’s what it’s all about when you get into these overtime situations. It’s all about putting away your opportunities.”
Orono (16-1-1) controlled much of the first half and led 2-0 at the break. Liz White had the first goal, assisted by Brinsley Chasse off a corner kick, with 30:41 left in the first half. The Flyers (14-5) had some chances, but couldn’t beat Orono goalkeeper Katelyn Richards.
Then Norwegian exchange student Aashild Fridtun made it 2-0 with a goal in the final minute of the first half. She saw an opening and cut in behind the Flyers’ defense to beat Pope.
“It’s tough giving up a goal that late in the half,” said Dominski. “But you’ve got to keep going. I told the girls, there’s 40 minutes left in the season and you have to go out and keep your heads.”
And they did. Waynflete, which also trailed 2-0 at the half in the 2013 final, was awarded a penalty kick with 11:33 left when one of its players was pulled down from behind. And junior defender Isabel Canning put it in – the first goal given up by the Red Riots in the tournament this year.
Arianna Giguere tied it with 5:10 remaining in regulation. She got past a defender 1-on-1 and then beat Richards cleanly.
“We’ve always been a fighting team,” said Giguere, a senior. “That gave us the momentum but we weren’t about to give up at any point of this game.”
Giguere almost won it in the first overtime with a similar play, but her shot went wide.
“There’s always going to be close calls in a game like this,” said Giguere.
“It came down to a ball in the middle. They were in the right place at the right time. That’s the way it goes.”
