RICHMOND — The Greater Portland Christian boys soccer team scored the first and last goals in its Class D semifinal Friday. In between it was a whole lot of Richmond.
The top-seeded Bobcats (15-0-0) scored five times in the first half and added three in the second en route to an 8-2 win and a spot in Wednesday’s Western Maine regional final against either Searsport or Bucksport. Fourth-seeded Greater Portland Christian finishes at 11-3-1.
These teams didn’t play during the regular season, but based on common opponents Wednesday’s meeting figured to be competitive. And it began that way as sophomore Ethan Spaulding put the Lions on the board with just under 10 minutes gone when his shot from 10 feet deflected off a Richmond defender into the goal.
Less than two minutes later, Richmond sophomore Brendan Emmons answered with a fine individual effort as he dribbled into the middle and scored cleanly past GPC keeper Mason Jones. That was all the momentum the Bobcats needed.
“It was pretty tough at the start,’ Richmond sophomore Cody Tribbet said. “Once we got rolling and passing the ball, we finished.”
Tribbet and senior Marcus Blake each scored three goals but this win was a team effort.
“There’s no particular one that someone is going to (mark),” Richmond coach Peter Gardner said.
Tribbet made it 2-1 with 16 minutes, 12 seconds left in the half with a hard shot from the right side that began with a long crossing pass from Emmons.
Curtis Anderson came off the bench midway through the half and it didn’t take him long to get going. Two minutes after Tribbet’s score he shot into an open net when Jones got caught in between staying home or going for the ball. Tribbet got a bit of a gift when his shot broke through Jones to make it 4-1. Blake made it 5-1 with 41 seconds left in the half with a strong individual effort that ended with a blast to the upper left corner of the goal.
That scored quashed any comeback hopes by the Lions and the Bobcats went on to dominate the second half, keeping the ball in the GPC end of the field for stretches that lasted as long as two minutes.
“I thought we did some nice things out there but I still think there’s room (for improvement),” Gardner said. “But I think they do too and that’s what kind of nice.”
The Bobcats finished with 17 shots on goals to six for the Lions. Richmond keeper Zach Small made three saves while two of GPC’s shots were stopped by Bobcat defenders, including a point-blank stop by Mike Stewart shortly after the Lions scored their first goal. Blake scored twice in the second half while Tribbet added her third scored after taking a slick pass from Anderson.
The game was halted in the closing minutes after Richmond sweeper Tyler Soucy injured his neck in a mid-air collision with a Lions player. Gardner wasn’t sure if the junior would be available for thre next game.
“I hope so,” the Richmond coach said. “He’s a big past or what we do.”
Spaulding scored his second goal of the game for the Lions with 33 seconds left to play with a well-placed shot that beat small to the far left corner of the net.
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