TOPSHAM

Two evenly-matched teams clashed Tuesday night when “Battle of the Bridge” rivals Mt. Ararat and Brunswick took to the pitch in a high school varsity girls soccer game.

Both squads played well in the back and forth Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference matchup that ended with a 3- 2 Brunswick victory on a goal by freshman Anna Kousky with just 18.2 seconds left on the clock. It was the second goal of the night for the freshman.

“She’s a very good freshman, she’s skillful,” Brunswick (4-1) coach Martyn Davison said. “She has an eye for the goal, which is making the runs to be in the right position to finish the through ball and she did a great job.”

“They were the better team,” Mt. Ararat (3-1-1) coach Sam Chard said. “They controlled the midfield and they had some better shots and better chances, they’re fast on the front line.”

Neither team had much of an advantage in the first half with the Eagles outshooting the Dragons by a narrow 6-5 margin. Jenna Brooks, another Brunswick freshman, netted the first goal of the game with just 3:22 remaining as she bested Eagles goalkeeper Kate Guerin (seven saves), who came away from her goal line in an attempt to make the stop.

“She was really a star tonight, she played the whole game,” Davison said of Brooks. “That just goes to show you the strength and depth we have.”

The Eagles quickly rallied back when Nikki Bradstreet had a cross attempt hit off a Brunswick defender for an own goal with 2:28 to play in the half, one of Bradstreet’s many cross attempts in the game as she helped keep the Eagles offense on the attack.

“I said to the girls at halftime ‘its not about how you play, it’s the intensity, we have to match their intensity,’” Davison said. “They were out-competing us. In the first half they were first to the ball.”

The scoring didn’t take place until the final 15 minutes in the second half with each team having some decent opportunities. Lauren Sturgess had an attempt off of a corner with 35 minutes left, but Brunswick keeper Beth Labbe made the stop, one of her seven saves. Brooks almost had another goal later for the Dragons when she was one on one with an Eagles defender, but her attempt sailed just over the net.

Trading goals

Mt. Ararat grabbed the lead with 14:13 left on a header by Summer Becker off a nice cross by Anna Manuel.

However, just over a minute later the Dragons responded when Kousky put in her first goal of the night off an assist from Sabina Smith.

“ It’s all about the three H’s,” Kousky said. “ Hard work, hustle and heart.”

Kousky showed all three of those and finished her game-winner late in regulation for the victory. Emily Cowan went for the cross. Guerin made the initial save before Kousky put in the rebound.

“ I didn’t know what to expect,” Kousky said of her first varsity experience against rival Mt. Ararat. “I started off at left wing and I don’t usually play that, but once I was striker things started to go well for me.”

The Eagles held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks but failed to capitalize on them.

“ Their defense is solid,” Chard said. “We didn’t get too many opportunities and when we did they weren’t very productive. They’re a very good ball club and their midfield is just phenomenal.”

Brunswick finished with 12 shots, while Mt. Ararat had 11.