BRUNSWICK — In a goal-oriented sport, anything can happen. There is often a fine line between a win and a devastating loss.
Take Wednesday’s Class A North boys high school soccer quarterfinal between fourth-ranked Brunswick and No. 5 Mt. Blue for instance. In the first half, the host Dragons dominated possession and outshot the Cougars, 5-1.
But a pair of second-half tallies by Chris Marshall allowed Mt. Blue to advance after a 3-1 victory.
The Cougars (9-5-1) face top-seeded and defending State Class A champion Lewiston on Friday in the A North semifinals, while Brunswick saw its season end with a 7-6-2 mark.
“Taking nothing away from Mt. Blue, but this was a game that we certainly could have won, but when it came down to it, we didn’t execute and we had to press at the end,” said Brunswick coach Mark Roma.
Brunswick had several shots either sail high or wide into a strong, cool wind in the first 40 minutes. Mt. Blue goaltender Xander Gurney made five first-half saves.
At the other end, Mt. Blue took advantage of its lone opportunity. Game-long standout Sam Smith was tripped up inside the penalty area, with the Cougars awarded a penalty kick. Mick Gurney buried the shot for a 1-0 edge.
“Brunswick was doing some great stuff, and they had a gameplan that worked for them in the second half of the season,” said Mt. Blue coach Joel Smith. “We knew at halftime one goal wasn’t going to be enough.”
Dragons tie it
It did not take long for Brunswick to find the equalizer in the second frae. Josh Musica gained control, took two strides and stepped into the ball, sending a low rocket just inside the left post for a 1-1 deadlock with 35:21 remaining.
“We talked about having to execute, and it was a lot of hard work,” said Roma, whose Dragons nearly gained a one-goal lead when Luke Cheseldine and Everett Horch had scoring chances.
Mt. Blue, playing into the wind in the second half, began possessing the ball, led by Sam Smith, Josh Smith and Gurney.
“We want to keep the ball on the carpet and play to feet, and in the second half the wind definitely helped us do that,” Joel Smith said.
Brunswick goaltender Jack McDiarmid was called on to make four tough saves in the second frame. His best stop came on a high rising shot by Jared Fontaine, with the netminder rising to get both hands on the ball.
There was little McDiarmid was able to do on the game-winning goal. Sam Smith sent Marshall toward the cage, with the junior netminder coming out to cut off the angle. But, Marshall’s shot rang off the crossbar and settled into the net with 11:05 left in regulation.
“At the half we were up 1-0 and we knew that we had to bring our all in the second half,” said Marshall. “We tend to play scared, but today we held it together. It was huge to get that second goal, and we were able to pull together.”
“Credit the guys. They had a lot composure,” Joel Smith said.
Brunswick pushed everyone forward, trying to find the equalizer. Horch saw two shots in a five-second span ring off the post to the left of Xander Gurney, keeping the Cougars in the lead.
Mt. Blue broke out of its defensive zone, led by Eli Yeaton, who passed forward to Sam Smith. A collision with McDiarmid left the Brunswick cage vacant, with Marshall scoring with 2:50 remaining.
“I was able to get one, and the second was great, allowing us to celebrate a little,” Marshall said.
For Roma and his Dragons, it was a disappointing end to a a season that saw Brunswick start slow (0-3-2) before rallying with a 7-2 finish.
“I told them that we are proud of them for sticking with it and never giving up,” said Roma. “We did a lot of great things this season, and I am proud of them.”
Now Mt. Blue faces its toughest challenge to date, with the talented Blue Devils awaiting.
“We need to play composed and not let the moment get ahead of us. Lewiston is a great team and will bring everything they got. We have to have a great game,” Joel Smith said.
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