Eliza Paradis paired up with Latisha Wright and scored the winning goal for the Wolverines in a 2-1 thriller over Mt. Valley at Wiscasset Middle High School Friday afternoon. Wright’s goal came with 62 seconds left until halftime after Paradis kicked the ball in front of the Falcons’ goal.

The win improved WMHS’s Mountain Valley Conference record to 2-8 and gives the Wolverines a slim chance to qualify for a postseason playoff berth. Mountain Valley High School entered the game with a record of 4-5 and ranked 12^th  in the class C standings. The top 14 teams qualify for the postseason tournament.

“It was a huge win for us,” Wolverine Coach Duane Goud told the Wiscasset Newspaper. “It really came together for us this afternoon.”

The Wolverines lit up the scoreboard first at the 16:23 mark when Cara Viele’s shot from 20 yards away went over the head of Falcon goalie Justice Gendron and into the net. The lead was shortlived; just 20 seconds later the Falcons tied the game. Sophie Ladd’s unassisted goal came from inside the 18 and as things turned out was the only shot Mountain Valley had in the first half.

The Wolverines had the advantage of a stiff breeze at their backs and dominated possession in the first 40 minutes. Late in the half, Brianna Orr just missed netting the tie-breaking goal when her shot bounced off the crossbar and out of bounds. Soon after, Natalie Potter found Viele open on the right side. Viele fired but missed wide right. Gendron then gloved two shots, one off the foot of Paradis and another by Orr.

The second half began with Wolverine Gwen Webber taking the first corner kick of the game at 33:30. Webber chipped the ball to the goal mouth. Wright got to it and fired but Gendron was there for the save.

Mt. Valley’s first corner kick came midway into the second half. Ellie LeDuc booted the ball to the goal mouth.  Ladd and her teammate Courtney Therrien raced to the ball but Wiscasset defender Ellie Pratt got to it first and cleared it to the sideline. The Wolverines then threatened again. Wright got off a nifty head-ball shot off Viele’s throw-in but Gendron was there for the save. Soon after Naomi Wood centered a pass to Paige Davenport but once again the Falcons’ defense held.

With 13:40 showing on the clock, Falcon Saydie Garbarini made a bid to tie the game. Her shot from inside the 18 just missed, with the ball carrying over the crossbar. Two minutes later, Alexis Therrien’s shot from inside the 18 sent Wolverine goalie Lily Souza to her knees to smother the ball. As the clock wound down Webber stole the ball, dribbled around the Falcons’ Garbarini and Madison Papianou sending a pass down field.

Souza was called on to make just one more save before the final horn sounded. She finished the afternoon with three stops. Gendron saved eight.

“You worked hard today. I’m really proud of all of you,” Goud told the Wolverines. Both teams left the field to a well deserved round of applause.