Yarmouth boys soccer pulls away from Greely, secures top seed in B South
Yarmouth Clippers withstand Greely surge, roll to 5-1 win and top Class B South seed
YARMOUTH — The Yarmouth Clippers entered Tuesday’s regular-season finale as the team to beat in Class B South. They left having proved it, withstanding a spirited Greely rally before scoring four straight goals to claim a 5-1 victory and the conference’s No. 1 playoff seed.
The win extended Yarmouth’s unbeaten run to 10 games, a stretch in which the Clippers have outscored opponents 63-4 and cracked the five-goal mark on eight occasions. With a 12-1-1 record, Yarmouth will host a regional quarterfinal on Oct. 28. Greely, now 8-5-1, is expected to claim the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye, also opening the playoffs at home next week.
Tuesday’s match offered a microcosm of both teams’ seasons. Greely opened the second half by pressing high and forcing Yarmouth’s defense into uncomfortable moments. The Rangers cashed in when Gavin Byrne slipped a pass forward to Ethan King, who chipped the ball over Clippers goalkeeper Gabriel Janczuk to level the score with 31:55 remaining.
It did not stay level for long.
Lucas Hayner restored Yarmouth’s lead less than three minutes later, finishing a rebound after Tate MacVane’s shot drew a save. Hayner’s first goal had come earlier in the half on a pass from Joel Butler.
From there, the Clippers’ methodical build-up from the back took over. Center backs Owen Advani and Finn Grimes, both senior captains, calmly circulated the ball with outside backs Joel Butler, Cael Woelflein, Landon Brewer and Will Ahrens, frequently involving Janczuk in the buildup. When Greely committed forward, Yarmouth turned defense into attack with quick vertical passes.
The sequence that put Yarmouth up 3-1 with 6:51 to play was the match’s finest piece of team play. Woelflein started the move from the back, finding Cole MacVane, who sent a long cross to the far post. Trevor Hunt timed his run perfectly, leaping to one-time the ball into the net.
Brewer and Garcia Eduardo added late insurance goals, Eduardo’s coming on a header from a Woelflein cross, as Greely emptied its bench.
Advani credited the dominant run to a team-wide commitment to improvement after an early-season setback.
“A lot of it is our response to the loss we had,” Advani said, referring to Yarmouth’s Sept. 17 defeat at Fryeburg Academy. “As a team, we’ve been working in practice emphasizing trying to get better.”
He also pointed to the comfort level among the defensive unit.
“I think it’s been unique because we have a good solid group of four in the back that we’re all confident with the ball at our feet,” said Advani, who captains the back line alongside Grimes.
Hayner, who scored twice, marveled at the play that set up his second goal.
“Tate did all the work. He dribbled around like four people,” Hayner said.
Greely coach Mike Andreasen said his team walked away believing it can compete with the state’s best.
“My big question to the kids after the game was, ‘Do we think we can beat this team?’” Andreasen said. “And they said, ‘Yeah.’ We played a good second half, we had some good chances.”
The Rangers had previously held Yarmouth to a 1-1 draw in the second meeting of the season, and Tuesday’s result did little to dampen their confidence despite the lopsided final score. Janczuk made a diving stop on Johan Clorius early in the second half, and Logan Emerson had a pair of opportunities to draw Greely level again after Hayner’s second strike.
Yarmouth coach Justin Morrill praised his team’s composure and willingness to move the ball quickly and cleanly, traits that were on full display as the Clippers closed out the regular season undefeated in their last ten.
Both teams now turn their attention to the postseason, where regional quarterfinals are set to begin Oct. 28.
