Waynflete senior Emi Boedeker is watched by St. Dom’s freshman Isabella Webster during the Flyers’ 11-2 victory Wednesday at Fitzpatrick Stadium. Boedeker set the tone with five goals.
Shawn Patrick Ouellette / Portland Press Herald photos.
More photos below.
BOX SCORE
Waynflete 11 St. Dom’s 2
SD- 1 1- 2
W- 6 5- 11
First half
18:20 W Boedeker (unassisted)
12:22 W Boedeker (unassisted)
10:23 W Parr (Aleshire)
9:41 W Boedeker (Aleshire)
6:14 SD Leslie (Theriault)
5:03 W Boedeker (unassisted)
3:17 W Parr (unassisted)
Second half
20:25 SD Suckow (free position)
19:01 W Boedeker (free position)
14:48 W Wagg (Connors)
10:53 W Sandberg (Aleshire)
7:14 W Sandberg (Parr)
5:07 W Dougherty (unassisted)
Goals:
SD- Leslie, Suckow 1
W- Boedeker 5, Parr, Sandberg 2, Dougherty, Wagg 1
Assists:
SD- Theriault 1
W- Aleshire 3, Connors, Parr 1
Draws (St. Dom’s, 10-5)
SD- Lutrzykowski 10 of 15
W- Boedeker 4 of 12, Sangster 1 of 3
Ground balls:
SD- 33
W- 31
Turnovers:
SD- 23
W- 18
Shots:
SD- 12
W- 23
Shots on cage:
SD- 6
W- 22
Saves:
SD (Long) 11
W (Akers) 4
Time: 1:13
PORTLAND—Fitzpatrick Stadium has been hallowed ground for Waynflete’s girls’ lacrosse program over the years and while the Flyers weren’t competing for a state title Wednesday afternoon, there was a lot at stake when they hosted St. Dom’s in a critical late-season showdown.
Waynflete has never missed the playoffs and for that streak to continue, the Flyers had to earn a victory Wednesday and thanks in large part to a transcendent effort from senior Emi Boedeker, on Senior Day, they went out and secured it.
Boedeker scored three quick goals and senior Marady Parr added another to spell a 4-0 lead and after the Saints got on the board, courtesy junior Mia-Angelina Leslie, Boedeker and Parr answered for a 6-1 halftime advantage.
Senior Addie Suckow got a goal back early in the second half, but St. Dom’s could never make a run and after Boedeker answered, junior Emily Wagg added a goal, junior Clara Sandberg scored twice and junior Ellis Dougherty added one more goal to give Waynflete an 11-2 victory.
Boedeker had five goals to lead the way as the Flyers improved to 5-6, moved into the final playoff spot in Class B and in the process, ended St. Dom’s’ regular season at 7-5.
“We really needed this one,” Boedeker said. “We’ve been watching the Heal Points. This definitely helps boost us in Heal Points and with our confidence.”
Improvement
Waynflete knew it would be a work in progress this season, as the Flyers are incorporating a lot of younger players on to their team, and as a result, there have been ups and downs.
Waynflete started with a 9-8 loss at Cheverus, then won, 12-3, at Wells. After falling at “home” to Greely, 10-5, in a game played at Fitzpatrick Stadium, the Flyers held off visiting Scarborough, 6-4. After falling at home to defending Class A champion Falmouth (10-2) and at Marshwood (5-3), Waynflete eked out a 6-5 overtime home win over York. The Flyers fell at defending Class B champion Cape Elizabeth, 13-3, but rebounded to defeat host Lake Region, the defending Class C champion, 8-2. Last Thursday, Waynflete dropped a 7-6, double-overtime home decision to Freeport, in a game which saw it let a 6-3 lead slip away.
St. Dom’s started with decisive wins at Fryeburg Academy (20-6) and Morse (16-5), then downed visiting Wells (10-6), earned a measure of revenge from last year with a 6-4 home victory over Lake Region in a Class C state final rematch, before edging visiting rival Lewiston, 5-4. After a 17-7 loss at Yarmouth, the Saints handled visiting Brunswick, 17-3. An 10-9 overtime loss at South Portland was followed by a 17-13 home win over Freeport. After falling at home in overtime to Greely (7-6), St. Dom’s lost Friday at Cape Elizabeth, 16-4.
Last year, in Auburn, Waynflete beat St. Dom’s, 10-7.
The Flyers also beat the Saints, 8-5, in 2017.
Wednesday’s meeting was the teams’ first in Portland and it came at a venue where Waynflete won six state championships between 2004-13 and also won epic semifinals round playoff games over Greely in the rain in 2006 and Falmouth in 2012.
This contest wasn’t near as dramatic or historic, but the Flyers did what they needed to do.
After the team’s three seniors were honored, a senior put Waynflete on top to stay, as after her first bid was denied by St. Dom’s junior goalie Simone Long, Boedeker scored unassisted with 18:20 to go in the first half.
Long kept the Saints within hailing distance by denying Boedeker on a free position, saving another Boedeker shot, then robbing Wagg on a free position.
With 12:22 left in the half, Boedeker scored again, unassisted with a low shot, for a 2-0 lead.
“We practice shooting high and we tried to get it over (Long’s) head and it didn’t seem to work, so we started shooting low, which we didn’t think would work, but it worked in our favor,” said Boedeker.
“We just needed to figure it out,” said Waynflete coach Cathie Connors. “We were trying to shoot over her.”
After Flyers junior goalie Avis Akers preserved the lead by denying St. Dom’s senior Emma Theriault, the Flyers transitioned to offense and junior Abby Aleshire fed Parr, who tickled the twine.
Wagg nearly made it 4-0 off the ensuing draw, but was denied by Long.
It didn’t take long for that fourth goal to come, however, as with 9:41 left in the half, Aleshire set up Boedeker.
Leslie countered (from Theriault) with 6:14 on the clock, but with 5:03 remaining, Boedeker weaved through several defenders before finishing unassisted, and with 3:17 to go, Parr’s unassisted tally produced a 6-1 halftime lead.
In the first half, Waynflete enjoyed a 12-3 advantage in shots on cage, but Long’s six saves kept things somewhat competitive.
The Saints hoped to rally when Suckow beat Akers with a free position shot with 20:25 to go, but they wouldn’t score again.
Boedeker responded with a free position goal with 19:01 to play and with 14:48 left, Wagg (off a pinpoint pass from freshman Jesse Connors) scored to make it 8-2.
Sandberg then took center stage, first finishing a feed from Aleshire with 10:53 left, then scoring again (from Parr) with 7:14 to go.
With 5:07 on the clock, Dougherty scored on a rebound and the Flyers went on to an 11-2 victory.
Boedeker, who has been limited by a knee injury for most of the past two seasons, made the most of her Senior Day opportunity, scoring five times.
“This means the world to me,” Boedeker said. “I haven’t been able to play in (my soccer or basketball) senior games, so this was special to be here with my best friends. It was a dream come true.”
“Emi brings everything to our team,” Cathie Connors said. “She’s our motivator. She’s a natural leader. She’s happy for her teammates. She makes everyone better. It was nice that she was able to shine.”
Parr and Sandberg each had two goals and Dougherty and Wagg both finished with one.
Aleshire had three assists and Parr and Jesse Connors each had one.
“A lot of girls stepped up for us today,” Cathie Connors said. “Emily was all over the place on the draw. Abby had some nice assists. Clara stepped up too.”
Akers made four saves.
Wagg had a team-high eight ground balls.
Waynflete enjoyed a 23-12 edge in shots (22-6 on cage) and overcame 18 turnovers.
For St. Dom’s, Leslie and Suckow each scored once.
Theriault had an assist.
Long made 11 saves.
Senior Avery Lutrzykowski won 10 of 15 draws and the Saints had a 33-31 ground ball advantage (Leslie had a game-high nine).
St. Dom’s did commit 23 turnovers.
“It wasn’t a good day for us,” said Saints coach Leslie Klenk. “Our defense held strong, but we really couldn’t coordinate our plays or finish it off. We’re missing a bunch of players with injuries and that made a difference.”
Unfinished business
St. Dom’s projects to be the No. 3 seed for the Class C playoffs.
“I think in the playoffs, if everything works out well, we should be very competitive,” said Klenk. “From a statistical standpoint, we should be in a good place.”
Waynflete has moved into the 10th and final spot in Class B. Presuming Messalonskee doesn’t upset Oxford Hills Thursday, the Flyers should stay there and they have an opportunity to move up even higher should they upset top-ranked Yarmouth Friday in Yarmouth.
If Waynflete does get in, it could do some damage.
“I think we had a turning point in the Lake Region game,” Boedeker said. “We really started to play together as a team, connecting our passes much better. Hopefully that continues in the playoffs.”
“Yarmouth will be a tough game for us, but we have something to play for,” Cathie Connors said. “The girls tend to play up when they need to and we’ll need that again on Friday.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.
Waynflete junior Emily Wagg defends St. Dom’s junior Mia-Angelina Leslie.
Waynflete junior Clara Sandberg, who scored twice, heaves the ball away from the St. Dom’s defense.
St. Dom’s junior Mia-Angelina Leslie races past Waynflete junior Emily Wagg (5) and senior Emi Boedeker.
Waynflete junior Emily Wagg and St. Dom’s junior Mia-Angelina Leslie fight for the ball.
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