KENNEBUNK — Caleb Barlow scored two goals and Jacob Brackett recorded a shutout as ninth-seeded Westbrook beat No. 8 Kennebunk 4-0 in a Class A South boys’ soccer prelim Friday evening.

Just over 21 minutes into the game, Barlow took a pass from his left from Marcus Lawson and fired a left-footed shot that found its way into the lower right corner of the net.

“Caleb is a special player. He loves to score goals and he’s worked hard,” said Kennebunk Coach Greg Cavanaugh, who coached Westbrook the previous two seasons. “He worked so hard off the ball tonight.”

It stayed a one-goal game until Westbrook struck three times in the last 15 minutes.

Barlow put the Blue Blazes up 2-0 with 14:01 remaining.

“Both (goals) were one touch, lower corner,” said Barlow. “It’s just when we all work together like that and play possession, play our game, (it) creates these wide open shots that are deep, but you have to take them.”

The second goal from Barlow seemed to open the floodgates, as Westbrook added two more goals in the next four minutes.

“Getting that second (goal) was good, and it did just open everything up. I think (our) confidence just raised (after the goal),” said Westbrook Coach Vincent Aceto.

Junior midfielder Austin Pierce put the Blue Blazes up 3-0. Then, with 10:04 left, Noor Abdulabas took a pass from Shammah Gahomera and scored to make it 4-0.

“We really needed that second goal to give us confidence,” said junior forward Jean Marc Lohomboli. “We had more control of the game after that goal.”

Lohomboli chipped in with a pair of assists.

Brackett made four saves in the shutout.

“I think we did very well (defensively). The field conditions weren’t the best, everybody was slipping,” said Brackett. “On one of the saves I had, I was slipping but I got (my) fingertips (on it), so I thought that was a great save.”

That came midway through the second half, with Westbrook clinging to its 1-0 lead. Simon Butterfield launched a shot toward the top of the net, but Brackett leaped and deflected it over the crossbar.

“We had opportunities, that’s for sure. Playoff soccer, and soccer in general, it’s who is going to capitalize on those opportunities,” said Cavanaugh.

Cavanaugh was coaching against his former team for the first time.

“I love the guy,” said Lohomboli. “He taught me pretty much all I know. I’m just glad I met that guy.

“It was interesting,” said Cavanaugh. “Right now it still stings, but once the dust settles a little bit I’ll be able to sit back and be proud of what those boys in Westbrook did.”

Westbrook (8-6-1) will travel to top-seeded Gorham (13-0-1) for a quarterfinal on Tuesday. Gorham won 7-0 in their regular-season meeting.

“Gorham handled us during our regular-season meeting,” said Aceto. “We probably won’t change anything that we’ve done all year, just probably tighten marking up. That’s where we lost it with Gorham.”

“It’s going to be a big game. We’re going to go out there and try to cause an upset, see what we can do,” said Brackett.

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