FREEPORT

With Jake Todd and Jake Perry out of the defensive lineup for the Freeport High School boys lacrosse team due to injury, Saturday’s non-conference matchup against visiting Gorham proved to be rather challenging.

Despite scoring the first goal of the game, the Falcons saw 18 shots by the Rams find their way into the back of the net en route to an 18-1 loss, dropping them back to an even 4-4 on the season.

“Our game plan was to keep it very simple and focus on passing, catching and shooting,” Falcons head coach Geoff Arris said after the game. “We came out and started off real strong in the first three minutes of the game and then they (Gorham) became a little bit more aggressive, a little more hungry and they kind of took over and we somehow, for some reason, let it happen.”

It only took the first 51 seconds of the game before the first scoring opportunity occurred. Freeport’s Sam Wogan picked up a ground ball from midfield and then drove to the net and was able to fire a shot low and past Rams’ goaltender Carter Landry for a quick 1-0 advantage.

But, it became all Gorham from that point forward as the Rams launched an astounding 42 shots, while limiting the Falcons to 15 over four quarters. Less than a minute after Wogan’s goal, Gorham’s Tristan Brunet battled his way through a group of defenders and dumped a shot over Falcons’ goalie Zac Wogan to tie the game at one.

The remainder of the first quarter saw four more goals find the twine, with Brunet adding another tally to his name, while Alex York, Michael Susi and Ryan Hamblen got in on the action.

By the start of the second quarter, Gorham had a 5-1 lead and showed no signs of slowing down.

“They had nine goals by the end of halftime and seven of them were just wide open on the crease,” Arris said. “No one was talking and we were very quiet. We came out a little bit on fire in the second half, but that got extinguished pretty quick after they got one and they put their heads down. We just got to snap them out of that.”

Of the four goals scored in the second frame, Susi took ownership of the first two within three minutes of each other to which were laced in low and underneath Zac Wogan’s stick.

Freeport had its chances to increase its side of the scoreboard, but Landry collected his fair share of saves, turning away 10 of the 15 launched in his direction to keep the Falcons at bay.

The third quarter proved to be the dagger in the backs of the Falcons as the Rams went on to add seven goals to their overall total, pulling ahead 16-1. With 7:59 left in the third, Susi won the faceoff and took six seconds to drive to the net and fire a shot top shelf past Wogan.

After a few adjustments made by the Falcons in the fourth, the Rams offense finally slowed down, tallying only two goals in the final 12 minutes. Abraham Eaton notched his third goal of the game at the 3:52 marker, with Brunet bringing his total to four less than a minute after.

“Hopefully they can just pick it up and remember to keep it simple and keep it to just passing and catching,” Arris said. “It’s just about focusing on the real simple aspects of the game without getting in their own heads and trying to remedy. In that fourth quarter we put Nate Thomas in and he’s a freshman. I think he did everything that we asked for out of the minis.

“He was coming out of the defense, he took a shot, it’s his first time stepping into a varsity game. He did it without over thinking and I should have put him in sooner, because he really stepped up. I hope these guys can tune it in and be ready for Monday’s practice and be ready for the next (game).”

Gorham 18,
Freeport 1

At Freeport High School
Gorham—5472—18
Freeport—1000— 1
Goals — (Gor) Tristan Brunet (4),
Michael Susi (4), Alex York (4), Abraham Eaton (3) Cam Wright (2), Ryan
Hamblen; (F) Sam Wogan.
Assists — (Gor) Tristan Brunet (3),
Michael Susi (3), Alex York (3), Joe
Gallant (2), Abraham Eaton (2), Cam
Wright.
Shots — Gorham 42, Freeport 15.
Saves — (Gor) Carter Landry 10; (F)
Zac Wogan 14.
Faceoffs — Gorham 17, Freeport 6.
Records — Gorham 7-0, Freeport 4-
4.
Up next for the Falcons — Tuesday
at York, 4 p.m.

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