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HERMON — Last season, the Fort Fairfield boys soccer team was so close to a Gold Ball it could practically touch it.

On Saturday, the Tigers seized their second chance.

A goal by Cayden Ala in the 69th minute broke a 1-1 tie and lifted Fort Fairfield to a 2-1 win over Monmouth Academy in the Class D final at Pottle Field. It’s the program’s first state title since 2015.

The Tigers fell to Richmond 3-2 last year when they allowed the winning goal with 24 seconds left.

“It feels absolutely surreal, it’s a dream come true,” said Ala, a senior. “Ever since the final 30 seconds of that game, we wanted to be right here. Winning (regionals) was great, but we wanted this game, and this was the game that we got.”

Lucas Cormier also scored for the Tigers (18-0), while Vincent Heibel had an assist. Levi Cole made two saves.

The Mustangs finished 15-2-1. Their goal was scored by Bryce Fletcher, and Gavin Parsons had two saves.

The game showcased two contrasting styles. The Mustangs were methodical in their possession game, looking for open passing lanes to attack the Tigers’ defense. Fort Fairfield used the speed of its forwards, particularly Ala, Heibel and Cormier, to find space on breakaways.

“(The contrast) wasn’t as by design as we liked,” said Fort Fairfield coach John Ala. “We definitely possessed a lot better throughout the season than this evening. We ended up falling into more of a defense, counterattack scheme, which we were OK with because we had some quickness up top. We would have like to have possessed more, but that’s a credit to Monmouth. They’re an incredible team and extremely well coached, kudos to them.”

Monmouth Academy struck first, scoring 20 minutes into the game, as Fletcher found space in front of the net and knocked a shot past Cole.

Fort Fairfield responded less than four minutes later when Cormier took a pass from Heibel in front of the net and knocked the ball into the left corner.

“I just knew I had to be in the right spot, and I knew Vincent was dribbling through everybody, he’s a great player,” said Cormier, a junior. “I just needed to get into an open space for him to find me, and I was able to get the goal.”

The Mustangs dominated possession in the second half, outshooting the Tigers by a 7-2 margin. But Ala received a pass and found space down the middle of the field on a breakaway, resulting in the go-ahead goal.

“I already had (an earlier scoring opportunity) taken away by the keeper; he made a great save. I knew I had to tuck this one away,” Caden Ala said.

For the final 10 minutes, Fort Fairfield stayed in a defense-heavy formation, forcing the Mustangs to take long-range shots that missed wide.

“It was a great game, the fans got their money’s worth, didn’t they?” said Monmouth coach Joe Fletcher. “We knew they were good, we know we’re good. If we played 10 games, we’d win five. We had one (defensive) breakdown, but we had opportunities. I’m proud of my group, they played hard.”

At the end of regulation, the Tigers sprinted across the field to their fan section near the grandstand, celebrating with community members decked out in red face paint and Tiger costumes.

“It’s a special community,” John Ala said. “We’re a small town, but we’re very close, where sports are very important. I see (this support) every sports season. It’s a great town and a special community to be a part of.”