Field hockey: Yarmouth gets revenge against Freeport in Class B South final

FALMOUTH -- This time, it was Yarmouth jumping for joy. And Freeport left in disbelief. One year after an agonizing double-overtime loss to Freeport in the Class B South final, second-seeded Yarmouth turned the tables Wednesday evening at Falmouth High, ending top-seeded Freeport's title reign with a 1-0 victory.

In a defensive battle, Yarmouth got a third-quarter goal off a penalty corner from freshman sensation Maya Nasveschuk, and its defense held Freeport's potent attack to just two shots. The Clippers, who last played in and won a state title in 1995, in Class C, improved to 16-1 with their 16th straight victory and will battle Belfast on Saturday in the state championship game at Edward Little High in Auburn. "We've talked about getting back here and changing the outcome since day one this year," said Bre Morrill, Yarmouth's second-year coach. "We're so proud of this whole team.

Every single player matters, and that's what made the difference today."

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[embedded content] The Falcons, who won Class B South in both 2022 and 2023, had a 24-game winning streak snapped and finished 16-1. "It was a very frustrating night, but this doesn't define our season," said Freeport Coach Marcia Wood. "The sting will go away after a few days.

We only lose three seniors, and hopefully we'll be fighting next year for it." The Falcons had plenty of possession in the first half, but Yarmouth prevented them from getting shots in the circle. At the other end, the Clippers got a couple shots from Nasveschuk, but Freeport goalie Maddie Kryzak (five saves) denied them both.

With 8:31 left in the third quarter, Yarmouth broke through thanks to some tenacity around the cage. The ball was inserted by Madison Wiles, and Sally McGrath pushed a shot toward the goal. The ball was stopped, but Nasveschuk lunged for the ball and sent it past Kryzak.

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"The ball just came to me and I saw it near the post and I went hard and pushed it in," said Nasveschuk.

"We're so glad that Maya was able to get that little flick at the end," Morrill added. Freeport couldn't get the ball anywhere near the circle for most of the fourth quarter. With three minutes left, Sophia Bradford, who scored the winner in last year's regional final, got a great look in front, but Clippers goalie Emma Shannon made the stop.

The Falcons earned two corners as time wound down but couldn't muster a shot on the first. On the second, a shot from Emily Groves was cleared by senior Zoe Sammon. "I think we just really clicked with our communication," Sammon said. "When somebody stepped up, someone else stepped back.

This team has really just put it together."

"It's just crazy even being here," added Morrill. "It feels so much better winning as a coach of this team than it would have being a player on this team."

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