READFIELD — Maranacook was quicker to the ball, controlled the middle of the field and buried its best chances.

And as a result, the fourth-seeded Black Bears are in the Western Class B boys’ soccer semifinals for the second consecutive season, thanks to a 2-1 win Wednesday over No. 5 Morse.

Defenders Nick Lacasse and Zach Elwell scored about 10 minutes apart in the first half, and the Black Bears made the lead stand.

“We drained it all out of ourselves,” Maranacook senior captain striker Jon Varney said. “We definitely had to work for this one.”

The Black Bears (12-3-0) will play at top-seeded York (12-1-2) in a regional semifinal at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Morse (8-6-1) rallied with a second-half goal by Cody Snyder and had several chance to tie but couldn’t push home the equalizer.

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“It was a good game,” Morse Coach Tom Rackmales said. “They took advantage of their opportunities in the first half. I thought they carried the play to us in the first half, but we carried the play a little more in the second.”

Both Maranacook goals came on set plays.

Lacasse opened the scoring on a direct kick from about 24 yards out 9:56 into the game. With Morse keeper Grady Madden setting up a wall of defenders in front of him, Lacasse quickly buried a well-placed shot to the far post.

“It was quick,” Lacasse said. “We tried to do it at the beginning of the season but it didn’t work. It was a shot that goes in maybe one out of 10 times. They didn’t know it was coming. They didn’t even have their wall set up. It was a big goal.”

Elwell gave the Black Bears some breathing room when he converted a corner kick from Varney with 20:51 left in the half.


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