WATERVILLE — The last time Winslow and Waterville met in an early-season sauna, the Black Raiders handed the Purple Panthers perhaps the most embarrassing loss in their rivalry, a 9-0 blowout in the 2014 season opener at Kennebec Savings Bank Field.
On Tuesday, the sauna moved to Webber Field, and the Purple Panthers were determined not to have a meltdown on their home turf.
Waterville rallied from a two-goal deficit early in the second half to tie Winslow 3-3 in the KVAC rivals’ first meeting of this season.
Peter Mayhorn scored two goals and had an assist for the Purple Panthers (1-0-1), while Michael Oliveira scored the other goal. Spencer Miranda and Jake Houghton each had a goal and an assist for the Black Raiders (1-0-1), while Justin Burgher also scored.
“We’ve come around as a team since last year,” Oliveira said. “Last year, we had about 10 young sophomores, and this year they’ve definitely stepped it up physically and mentally.”
“Our defense did a really good job in the second half,” Waterville coach Kerry Serdjenian said. “We had some trouble with their speed in the first half. I think some of our guys are not familiar with their position because we’ve had to make some lineup changes, and they’re even young or that’s not their place. They had to adjust and they got the hang of it today.”
Waterville outshot Winslow 33-25 and dominated the two five-minute overtimes with several quality chances. Winslow goalie Jake LaPierre (16 saves) made a couple of big saves and also got a little help from his crossbar, which stopped just enough of a Mayhorn bid in the second minute of the second overtime.
“In the second half and the two overtimes we had some really good chances that went just wide or hit the crossbar. They don’t all go in,” Serdjenian said. “But going from being outshot, like, 33-0 by them last year and then (outshooting them) today… the opportunities were there. I’m hoping we find the back of the net a few more times the next time we play them (Sept. 26 at Winslow).”
“We just didn’t keep enough possession. We were just playing it over the top,” Miranda added. “They were more aggressive on the offensive end and won more 50/50s.”
Mayhorn’s first goal got Waterville on the board with 10:16 left in the first half. Miranda made it a two-goal margin again a little over 11 minutes into the second half, following up on a ball that dribbled out of a crowd to the right of the net.
The Purple Panthers closed the gap again a little over six minutes later when Mayhorn set up Oliveira.
“Coach had just put me up top a few minutes before that,” Oliveira said. “My plan was to just have somebody play those balls through the seam between the center back and the left back. Peter looked up and played me and I just took it on my left foot.”
Mayhorn scored the equalizer with 15:08 remaining, heading in a nice cross from Ethan Cayer.
“Ethan dribbled down to the corner. I called for the ball and I saw a (Winslow) player coming so I just headed it into the goal as hard as I could,” Mayhorn said.
Houghton gave Winslow the lead nearly seven minutes into the game, dashing down the right wing to run down a long pass over midfield and beating Waterville goalie Jackson Aldrich (11 saves) near post.
Winslow made it 2-0 at 13:53 with a well-executed corner from Miranda to Burgher, who headed the former’s feed past Aldrich.
“They were all shifting near-post and we just had Justin Burgher waltz into the back, open. So I saw him and tried to put it on his head,” Miranda said.
Randy Whitehouse — 621-5638
rwhitehouse@mainetoday.com
Twitter: @RAWmaterial33
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