STANDISH — Portland controlled play in most of Tuesday’s game but needed a goal in overtime to beat Bonny Eagle 2-1 in Class A South boys’ soccer.

Portland continued controlling play in both overtimes and finally broke through when Zekariya Shaib flicked in a header off a long throw-in from Pedro Fonseca with 3:09 remaining in the second overtime.

Portland had the advantage in shots on goal (20-3), corner kicks (7-1) and ball possession. But the Scots jammed the defensive zone with 10 players to stymie the skilled Bulldogs. They blocked numerous shots and cleared a couple at the goal line.

“(Bonny Eagle Coach) Larry (Robertson) had his kids ready,” said Portland Coach Rocco Frenzilli, whose team improved to 6-1. “He had a perfect game plan for us – defensive oriented and ready for the possibility to break it out against us. We fortunately had enough to quell their attacks against us.”

Robertson explained that he leaned on an experienced back line.

“We have good leadership (on the back line),” said Robertson, singling out David Byrne, James Conley, Deytric Enking and Ethan Hamilton. “I think they knew what the game plan was and they executed it.”

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As the game wore on, Frenzilli moved up a defensive player to get even more opportunities. On the winning goal, there were too many options for the Scots (3-2) to defend.

The goal came against backup goalie Nick Beaulieu, a freshman who entered the game with 8:44 left in the second half after starter Connor Redlon (16 saves) was injured when a ball was knocked out of his hands.

“We moved (a player) up top to get more looks. We got more looks, but if you don’t put it in the net it doesn’t mean anything,” said Frenzilli. “Fortunately, Pedro was able to get one into Zek and he skimmed one in.”

Shaib, a senior midfielder, acknowledged the defensive-minded home team.

“We were playing attack all game but their defense was tough to play against,” Shaib said. “Finally we were able to break through on (Pedro’s) great throw-in.”

Bonny Eagle opened the scoring with 7:36 left in the first half. Byrne’s free kick at midfield induced a penalty kick. Byrne took it, and his shot to the top right corner was successful.

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It was the second converted penalty kick of the young season for the Scots.

“Penalty kicks are a difficult situation to be composed in a high school game, especially in a game so close,” Robertson said. “We earned it and he did well (converting it).”

Daniel Hanley tied it for Portland 6½ minutes later. He chipped a shot to the far top corner from 35 yards, just out of the reach of Redlon, with 1:08 left in the first half.

The Bulldogs almost ended the game in the first overtime when Fonseca’s shot from 10 yards deflected off a defender and headed toward the goal line, only to be cleared by Enking.

Bonny Eagle’s best chance in the extra sessions came in the first minute of the second 5-minute overtime, on Chris Westgate’s hard shot from the right side of the box that forced Rowan Daligan (four saves) to make his most challenging stop. It led to the Scots’ only corner kick of the game, but Maccoy Freeman’s header went wide.


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