BRUNSWICK — Keenan Welzel scored three goals to lead second-seeded Brunswick to a 4-1 win against No. 3 Hampden Academy in an Eastern Class A boys’ soccer semifinal Saturday.

The victory propelled the Dragons (12-2-2) into the regional final for the first time in four seasons. Brunswick will play top-seeded Lewiston (15-0-1) on Wednesday.

This was the third game of the season between the Dragons and the Broncos. Hampden Academy opened the season with a 2-1 win at Brunswick on Sept. 9. On Oct. 4, the Dragons pulled out to a 2-1 win in Hampden.

“The knew what we had and we knew what they had,” said Brunswick Coach Mark Roma. “There were no mysteries. We played better than they did today, and we came out on top.”

“They played the same way all three times we saw them,” said Hampden Academy Coach Josh Stevens. “They were aggressive, and aggressiveness won out today.

“Neither of us got a lot of great looks, but they capitalized on all of theirs.”

The Dragons were direct with their passes while in the offensive end.

“We preach all the time, ‘Keep (the ball) moving, keep it moving,’ ” Roma said. “That’s our mantra all day long in practice, and ‘Pass to penetrate. Don’t just pass to pass.’ “

All of Brunswick’s goals followed that pattern.

The Dragons opened the scoring 7:30 into the game. Eric Kousky passed the ball inside from the left corner to Welzel, who turned and fired a rising shot into the far corner.

It took the Broncos (12-4) exactly 30 seconds to score the equalizer. Tristan Garner put in a rebound after keeper Josh Dorr dived to stop a shot by Noah Parker.

Brunswick regained the lead in the 19th minute when Cameron Glover beat keeper Kyle Townsend to a high ball that deflected off a defender. Glover rolled it into the open net from about 15 yards.

With 13 seconds left in the first half, Welzel struck again. This time, he beat Townsend to Jesse Arford’s long pass into the left side of the penalty area and slipped the ball past the keeper into the uncovered net for a 3-1 lead.

Hampden Academy was awarded five of its six corner kicks during the first 15 minutes of the second half, but the Broncos had nothing to show for it.

“We couldn’t be productive,” Stevens said. “They brought all the intensity, and we didn’t match it today.”

Welzel completed his hat trick in the 63rd minute when he took a feed on the right side from Alex Reny and beat Townsend one-on-one from about 20 yards.

Roma said the Dragons played one of their best games of the season.

“It’s hard to single anybody out,” he said.

Brunswick held a 19-15 edge in shots.

Dorr made nine saves for the Dragons. Townsend made seven saves for Hampden Academy.

Brunswick and Lewiston played once during the regular season, a 2-2 tie in Brunswick.

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