Windham boys’ soccer falls to Falmouth in quarterfinal playoff

By Matt Pascarella

Tenth-place Windham varsity boys’ soccer played second-place Falmouth at Falmouth on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Windham kept Falmouth scoreless for 60 minutes of an 80-minute game, but Falmouth scored halfway through the second half. The Navigators got two more goals before the end and won, 3-0.

Windham senior Camden Patin keeps his eyes on the ball
during the boys' soccer quarterfinal playoff game against
Falmouth at Falmouth High School on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“For this contest, getting them on their heels early by coming out more aggressive and looking to push the scoring opportunities was the strategy,” said Windham varsity boys’ soccer coach Jeff Neal. “Windham faced adversity all season long on and off the pitch, but they all picked each other up day-after-day, working hard to find a pathway to get better. While we may not have met initial expectations, I can proudly say as a group they represented the community and program as well as a group of young men can.”

Neal said the team worked hard all season to develop a more aggressive and positive shooting posture while doubling down to improve striking technique to generate more consistent scoring. As the season progressed, WHS improved on this. Their defense really improved after losing a number of veteran players to graduation last year.

Windham’s defense was strong from the start and remained strong for a very large portion of the game. The Eagles moved the ball well and worked hard to be first to the ball. They made solid attempts to go after scoring opportunities, but Falmouth defense was also strong. It was 0-0 at halftime.

“Coming into this game, my teammates and I went with the mindset of having nothing to lose,” said Windham senior and goalie Tate Robinson who had nine saves during the game. “We knew that this wasn't going to be an easy game, however, we were still confident in our ability to compete against them. I was confident in our team's abilities and fully believed we could win. This was the best I've seen us play and really showed that we were able to compete with one of the best teams in Maine.”

In the second half, Windham maneuvered and remained aggressive with incredibly strong defense. After several blocks by Robinson, Falmouth was able to score, but only after almost 60 scoreless minutes.

Robinson did not let this get him down and said he knew there was plenty of game remaining to tie it up.

“As a team we held Falmouth up really well,” said Windham senior Camden Patin. “Everything we talked about executing we executed to our best. The first half was some of the best all-around soccer we had played all season. It was simple mistakes that led to the defeat. Looking back on the season what stands out is our ability to push through adversity ... this team came every day to work and grind to get better.”

The Navigators scored again with eight minutes left and once more on a penalty kick.

Captain and senior Daniel Hancock said leading up to Falmouth’s first goal, they had executed their game plan well but just had a small break in it. When Robinson made back-to-back saves, in the moments following Hancock said Windham did not have Robinson’s back to clear the ball. They ran out of gas, and some unfortunate bounces deflated them. He’s proud of the effort Windham gave against a strong team.

“We controlled the ball well and kept the score to a 0-0 game,” said Windham senior Dylan Crockett. “We are a very talented team with great players, but we did not fully adapt to Falmouth’s urgency and hunger in the second half. Due to our lack of endurance toward the last 15 minutes of the game we got put under pressure. (While) we possessed the ball a lot better, and we had a ton of attacking chances, we just couldn’t finish the chances. I’m very grateful for all the opportunities this team has given me; this brotherhood we all had will stay as a core memory for the rest of my life.” <