BRUNSWICK — It took more than 60 minutes for Brunswick to get the soccer ball past Morse goalkeeper Marissa Parks.

After weaving her way between three defenders inside the goalie box, Lea Scrapchansky fired a hard shot from point-blank range that deflected off Parks’ left hand and into the goal, lifting the unbeaten Dragons to a 1-0 win in a Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference match.

“It was 1-nil, but we dominated,” said Brunswick Coach Martyn Davison.

The Dragons (6-0) held a 24-3 edge in shots and a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks, as much of the game was played on the Morse side of the midfield stripe.

“Our kids played great until that final third (of the field),” Davidson said. “Our finishing was weak today, so we need to work on that a little bit, put some extra time in.”

Brunswick (6-0), ranked second behind defending regional champion Camden Hills in Class A North, has outscored its first six opponents by a 20-1 margin.

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“I just think if you have a lot of chances, the ball is going to go in some day,” Davison said. “It’s just that final ball is where we started to have problems.”

Until Scrapchansky scored, Parks had stopped every shot that came her way. She finished with 12 saves.

“Marisa did a phenomenal job in stopping their shots. She made some stellar (saves),” Morse Coach Steve Boyce said. “She’s been our goalie for four years, and she’s gotten better every year. This is the best year so far.”

“She’s a great keeper,” Davison said. “She was intercepting our crosses. She was coming off the line and she was quick to get to the ball.”

A light mist fell during most of the first half.

“It was a bit greasy out there, and that may have affected the game,” Davison said.

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One of the Dragons’ best scoring chances came 29 minutes into the game.

Sara Scrapchansky, a sophomore midfielder, lifted a right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area that caromed off the crossbar. She then hustled to get to the rebound and slammed a left-footed shot from well inside the penalty area toward the far post, but Parks laid out to make the save, and the ball trickled off her fingertips and rolled out of bounds just beyond the post.

The Shipbuilders’ first shot on goal came with about two minutes left in the first half when Moriah Albertson took a direct kick from just outside the penalty box. Beth Labbe, who stopped three shots to post her fifth consecutive shutout, made a leaping catch to keep the ball out of the goal.

The Shipbuilders (3-2-1), ranked fourth in Class B South, had as many nine players drop into the defensive zone.

“We have a strong defense and we knew their offense was good. We couldn’t allow them an opening,” Boyce said.

“We didn’t want to get embarrassed today, and I think we walked away with a good feeling.”


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