When two schools meet in the playoffs, oft times they come from different conferences leading to a boatload of uncertainty and anxiety.
Such was the case Tuesday night when sixth-ranked York came to Bath sporting a 5-6-3 Western Maine Conference girls soccer record.
Host Morse was the third seed based on its 9-3-2 Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference record.
The visiting Wildcats spotted the Shipbuilders an early 1-0 lead and unleashed a relentless winginspired attack en route to a 5-1 Western Maine Class B quarterfinal victory.
York is now scheduled to visit No. 2 Greely (10-4-1) in semifinal action on Saturday.
On a chilly evening at the McMann Field turf, the Wildcats were able to exploit Morse’s defensive breakdowns, leaving goaltender Alesha Aucoin to defend herself more times than not.
York frontliners Shannon Todd, Johanna Bennett, Sierra Swasey and Madeline Amidon buzzed around the Morse end, but the host got on board first.
On a play started by Amanda Gagne over on the left wing, the freshman got the ball into the middle where Miracle Trimble was able to dish off to a waiting Sophie Sreden, the latter’s 20-yard blast sailing over the head of York goalie Emma Rohrer (three saves).
York, which had not scored more than four goals in any WMC game, almost got one back on a long, hard shot by Swasey.
However, the visitors knotted the game at 1-1 with 12:18 left in the first half after a corner kick by Elizabeth Wagner settled into the goal area and bounced around before Amidon nailed the lower right corner.
Morse led in first-half shots 6-4 (Simmler, Cram, Emma Rossetti, Baylie Cram, et al, did yeoman’s work back there in front of goaltender Alesha Aucoin), but the Wildcats came out hard to open the second period.
Morse defender Laggan cleared a sure goal with Aucoin on the ground just a minute in and Aucoin had to make a tough save on a bullet by Todd.
Seven minutes in, Aucoin (10 saves) bobbled one bid, but recovered with Elaine Cavalieri buzzing around the goal area. Finally, on a play started by Amanda Lillie down the right sideline, Swasey scored at 9:18 for a 2-1 lead.
The floodgates didn’t open, but there were cracks, although Trimble, (despite being shadowed by Samantha Robinson) got off a free shot that sailed low and wide left from 18 yards out.
Amidon made it 3-1 with 26:55 left, the ball bouncing off Aucoin’s gloves and into the far side.
A centering pass from Todd over on the right bounced off several Morse defenders as York came up with a couple of offers before Charlotte Reilly scored just 29 seconds later for a 4-1 bulge,.
Cavalieri scored off a Jessica Fogarty feed with 14 minutes remaining to close out the scoring.
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