MT. BLUE HIGH SCHOOL’S Keeshawn Ferreira (6) and Mt. Ararat’s Eric Knight chase down this second-half loose ball during KVAC soccer action Saturday in Topsham. The host Eagles prevailed 2-1 in double overtime, the winning goal by Justin Pierce coming with 27.3 seconds left.
The Mt. Ararat High School boys soccer team, the newest version of “The Cardiac Kids,” saved their best for last on Saturday.
MT. ARARAT HIGH SCHOOL’S Isaac Bradshaw (10) heads the ball away from Mt. Blue’s Sam Taylor during KVAC boys soccer action Saturday in Topsham.
Pierce headed in a beautiful Chris Pepin corner kick with 27.3 seconds left to lift the struggling Eagles to a 2-1 Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference win.
The Eagles, defending Eastern Maine kingpins, evened their record at 2-2 and visit Edward Little on Tuesday.
Through 60 minutes, the score was tied at 1-1, but Mt. Ararat had only eight shots — and two of them came on second half penalty kicks. Yes, penalty kicks, which the hosts didn’t come close to converting against rangy goaltender Colton Lawrence.
“I really don’t know what it is,” said Mt. Ararat coach Rick Renaud. “They just don’t have that sense of urgency. We’ve played seven games now and in six of them we started out like that. They’re young, I guess.”
On the final play, Renaud admitted that he just wanted “to get the ball in the box. All of our players are supposed to go to a certain spot and Pepin hit a really nice ball in there.”
The visiting Cougars (1-1) survived a near Mt. Ararat score in the opening period (Griffin Stockford just missing), and went up 1-0 on an Ike Doiron goal.
Early in the second half, Robbie Small collected a Ty Veno pass and scored to make it 1-1.
With 23:11 left in regulation, Lawrence soared to his right to stop a Mike Crawford PK and five minutes later the goalie leaped to his left to gobble up a Eric Knight PK offering.
In the overtime the Eagles turned it up as notch and saw a great chance go by the boards as Lawrence ranged out near the 18, but bobbled the loose ball and Pierce was able to center it only to have Mt. Blue’s Matt Loewen clear the ball away.
Isaac Bradshaw also had a nice header in traffic for Mt. Ararat, which led in shots 10- 3 (Jon Roux had two saves) and in corner kicks 8-2.
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