AUGUSTA — Ethan Goodrich scored three goals in a three-minute span Tuesday night, making for the fastest hat trick of his young high school career.
But not by much.
Only days after scoring four times in a win over Lawrence, the sophomore forward scored three first-half goals in rapid succession to lead Waterville to a 4-1 win over Cony in a Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference boys soccer game. Goodrich, who now has seven goals in his last two matches, needed four minutes against Lawrence last Thursday to reach the hat trick.
“I guess this was a little bit faster,” Goodrich said. “It’s just using my speed to my advantage. I’ve got some good players playing me some through balls, and that obviously helps a lot.”
Goodrich netted his first two in the 27th and 28th minutes, respectively, against the Rams (2-2-0) on virtually identical plays.
Cony mismanaged the ball in the center of the park, first allowing Hunter Willett to spring Goodrich free down the left side and then letting Martin Hazlehunt do the same.
In both instances, Goodrich capped the play with firmly struck balls along the turf inside the far post.
“Ethan’s been on a tear for us,” Waterville coach Colby Clarke said. “He just wanted to keep the roll going, and he did. Our teammates found him, stuck to the game plan, found him in behind, and he did the rest with his left foot. We’re really lucky to have him.”
The first two from Goodrich erased an early 1-0 Cony lead through Martin Ferrusca’s 17th-minute goal and put the Panthers (2-1-1) on top to stay.
“I had some good players finding out the right passes, and they knew I was going to get there,” Goodrich said.
Waterville’s Gabriel Cedeno (9) battles for the ball with Cony’s Charles Norman (13) during a boys soccer game Tuesday in Augusta. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel
“We did what we usually do, we check out,” Cony coach Don Beckwith said. “That 30 seconds or that four or five minutes kills us every game. I don’t know what I’ve got to do, but we’ve got to get them so that we’re tough. We’re not tough right now. We’re not physical at all.”
Goodrich completed the hatty in the 30th minute from the same spot inside the 18-yard box for a 3-1 lead.
The visitors added insurance with an unlikely tally from Cormac Wilcox, who boomed a free kick from 50 yards out that bounced inside the penalty area and over the head — and out of the reach — of the Cony goalkeeper.
After a 10-minute stretch to close out the opening half and a similar run in the first 10 minutes after the break in which Cony appeared visibly deflated, the Rams did find some life late and found some scoring chances.
The Rams out-shot their visitors 10-6 in the second half but weren’t able to add to their total.
“We’ve just got to work on defending and our midfield shape a little bit,” Clarke said. “When we get up 3-1 or 4-1, we’ve got to work on finishing the game at a much higher level. It can’t fall off.”
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