Andy Carlton (left) and Alex Crossman work the ball through Waynflete midfielders in the Western C championship game last Wednesday. (David Hart photo)

Waynflete, 1 - Mt Abram, 0

SALEM — Just three and a half minutes into the Western C Finals at the Mt. Abram soccer facility, a tripping penalty set up a direct kick for the 11th ranked Waynflete team. The kick rattled around a bit before it found its way to the back of the net for a 1-0 Waynflete advantage.

Waynflete dropped five players back and MTA battled and pressed for the next 77 minutes to try to find the equalizer, but found they were just unlucky to do so.

MTA keeper Sam Simpson played one of the best games of the year making eight hard saves on the day. Much of his success has to do with the defense in front of him.

Sweeper Mike Bonney, wings Dylan Tisor and Greg Dexter and stopper Alex Tuttle played a phenomenal game, Coach Darren Allen explained.

Waynflete played a difficult game with the lead keeping defensive men behind the ball and marking the MTA strikers in front once they got past midfield.

Mt. Abram senior striker Mita Popovic eyes his path to the net in the Western C Championship game at Mt. Abram last Wednesday, Nov. 5. (David Hart photo)

MTA had headers go just over the crossbar, dangerous throw-ins from Noah Tranten and plenty of chances, but just couldn't finish.

At one point the strikers got the ball away from the charging keeper and a shot was knocked out of an open net by a retreating defensive player who was there to protect the goalmouth.

"We had the opportunity, which was one of our goals this year. We wanted to have the opportunity to play in the Western Maine final and let the chips fall where they may," Allen explained after the game.

Coach Allen in his final game with MTA for a while said the kids played their hearts out. "They came to play and played hard. They really wanted to get to the state game unfortunately they met Waynflete who's on an incredible Cinderella run. I told the guys that life is unfair sometimes. Things aren't going to be just given to you, you have to go out there and take them."

Allen explained that he told his group of athletes that he was disappointed with the end result of the game, but not at all with their effort.

Waynflete Academy went on to the state championships and lost to Washington Academy, another private boarding school. Over the past 10 years private academies from the Western Maine Conference have taken the title seven times. In girls' soccer the title went to private academies eight times in 10 years.

Allen recognized some of the long-term commitment some of his team members have shown and how long he's known some of them.

"Some of these kids have come through the middle school program and done the summer program with me for four or five years and there's now 13 of them moving on," Allen explained looking at his boys walk off the field.

"I was just really excited to be here and part of the program." Allen explained. "They really are a great bunch of kids."

Congratulations go out to the Mt. Abram boys' squad for a tremendous season and to Coach Darren Allen who brought this program to new heights.