WINSLOW — The Winslow boys soccer team has dispatched all competitors this season — except one.
For the second time this season, Maranacook (9-0-0 Western Class C) scored a one-goal win over the Black Raiders (7-2-0 Eastern Class B), this time a 2-1 decision at Kennebec Savings Bank Field on Friday.
Photo Gallery
“They’re a tough team,” Winslow sophomore Ben Smith said. “They’re physical, they’re well-coached, they’re very disciplined and they just play strong defense all game. They never let up.”
When the two teams met on Sept. 9, Winslow was blanked 1-0, but this time around it was the Black Raiders that struck first.
In the 22nd minute, Smith broke the ball out wide along the left sideline and crossed the ball with his left foot in front of the Maranacook goal. There Jimmy Fowler was waiting to perfectly redirect the ball into the bottom right corner of the net with 18:45 left in the opening half.
“I saw Jimmy running into the box and, when you have that angle, you can’t really take a shot,” Smith said. “I just tried to poke it in and hoped someone could put it in.”
The lead would be short-lived, however, as Maranacook’s Kent Mohlar had the answer exactly three minutes later with an impressively creative score.
Mohlar chipped the ball to himself over a pair of Winslow defenders and one-timed a shot with his right foot from 18 yards out that tucked just inside the left post to tie the game.
“When you’re playing, a lot of what you do is from instinct,” Mohlar said. “That was an instinct play. I saw the ball bounce and it’s something I’ve done a bunch of times and I tried to flick it over both of them.
“…You never know. You try things in practice and I’ve done it before, so everything is worth an effort in the game. There’s no point in not trying.”
The score remained as such until the 49th minute when the Black Bears drew a corner kick.
Matty DuBois sent a ball into the box that was initially headed by Kodey Solmitz straight up in the air in the box, where Jason Brooks was waiting. Brooks managed to get his head on the ball for the second touch and redirect the ball into the back of the net.
“Coach (Don Beckwith) always tells us to go to the net when you see someone’s going to win the ball so I went to the net. I saw Kodey was going to win the ball,” Brooks said. “It came straight up and I just flicked it with my head.”
Winslow’s best chance to tie it came off a free kick from 40 yards out with seven minutes remaining that lingered in front of the net for a moment before being chipped over by a Black Raider player.
“Winslow is a great team, the best team we’ve played this year,” Mohlar said. “We knew they’d be ready for us and that it was probably the biggest game of the regular season for us besides playing them the other time.”
Evan Crawley – 621-5640
ecrawley@mainetoday.com
Twitter: @Evan_Crawley
Send questions/comments to the editors.
