WINDHAM – The Windham boys’ soccer team extended its storybook season Saturday as the No. 2 Eagles held on for a 2-1 win against No. 6 Cheverus in a Western Class A semifinal.
Windham advanced to the regional final Wednesday against Scarborough.
It was the 10th straight win for the Eagles, and it came against the last team to beat them.
“They’re much better than they were a month ago,” Cheverus Coach Bill LeBlanc said. “They came out ready, and we were a little flat.”
On Sept. 20, the Stags (12-4) cruised to a 2-0 win at Windham, but Colin Minte, the Eagles’ first-year coach, said his team has changed a lot since then.
“It’s been a learning process for me to get an understanding to where the players are best suited,” he said. “Tactically, we’re playing a completely different formation. Offensively, we’re balanced, and we’re playing great zonal defense.”
The Eagles (14-2) scored both of their goals in the first half.
Robbie Lentine opened the scoring in the third minute by putting in the first shot of the game for his 20th goal.
E.J. Gumaer, a defender, set up the score by sending a direct kick from near the midfield stripe deep into the penalty area. As Cheverus goalie Charlie Mull moved toward the ball, Lentine rushed into the goalie box and used his right foot to deflect it into the right side of the goal.
“It was a great ball served in by E.J., and I just tried to do whatever I could to get something on the ball, and it happened to work out for me,” Lentine said.
After taking the early lead, Windham continued to press.
“We kept pushing and pushing,” Lentine said. “We were motivated because they were one of the only teams to beat us this year.”
In the 24th minute, Marc Rey-nolds poked the ball into the goal from less than five yards out when Mull was unable to hang onto it after stopping Damian Cummings’ blast from more than 30 yards out.
“We didn’t compete that well in the first half, and they did,” Le-Blanc said. “They were relentless in the first half.”
Nick Melville got the Stags back into the game when he put in a shot from 30 yards out 11 minutes into the second half.
“Great teams will come back on you like that,” Lentine said. “We just stuck in there and tried to play the best defense we could.”
Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at:
pbetit@pressherald.com
Twitter: PaulBetitPPH
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