FREEPORT

Sometimes, it’s just about being in the right place at the right time.

Freeport High School boys varsity soccer captain Max Heathco was in that right place at the right time on Tuesday against Fryeburg Academy, and it paid off.

In the 14th minute, on the first set piece of the match, forward Eriksen Shea settled a ball on the edge of the box. Heathco slipped by a defender and was left unmarked in front of an empty net as the Fryeburg goalkeeper charged. Shea touched it over to the Falcons’ captain, who was left with a simple tap-in.

It ended up being the game’s only goal and the game-winner, as Freeport held on to win the Western Maine Conference fixture, 1-0.

“I saw Eriksen (Shea) with the ball and I kind of ran towards it,” Heathco said. “My job is usually to just get in front of the goalie — to be big like that. It’s cool to score, I’m not going to lie to you. It’s fun. Really, it started from the back.”

“They don’t all have to be pretty if they go in,” Freeport coach Joe Heathco said. “Because we had lots of pretty plays that didn’t count. Eriksen (Shea) did a great job of taking that physical contact and getting that ball out into the middle for Max (Heathco) to finish. We talk about that — moving off the ball, getting where you’re supposed to be and it worked out well for him today.”

The opening score came after a long spurt of controlled possession for Freeport (2-0), but with drizzly conditions in the first opening 10 minutes, no shots were taken from either side. Fryeburg (1-1) committed a foul in its own half 13 minutes in and gave the Falcons the opening they needed.

Max Heathco’s tap-in set the tone for the rest of the match — a controlled, pressing tone for the hosts. It was also the last time Fryeburg keeper Will Zeliff was beaten in two games.

“This has been a team that we’ve struggled with a little bit,” Joe Heathco said of Fryeburg. “Especially at their place. We needed to get that goal early. That goal really helped.”

Following the score, Zeliff stood tall and kept the Raiders in the match. Of Freeport’s 18 shots, 10 were on frame and a handful were threatening. He watched one careen off the post with nine minutes left in the first half, and managed to keep the score 1-0 heading into the break.

More chances

The Falcons came flying out of the gates in the second frame, testing Zeliff with a header on goal just a couple minutes in. Then, in the 48th minute, a second header won on a corner was caught on the dive. Freeport controlled set pieces throughout the match, earning five corners and consistently winning battles in the air.

Fryeburg’s first corner didn’t come until nine minutes into the second half and was cleared away by the Freeport backline. On the Raiders’ second and final corner late in the match, pulling everyone into the box was to no avail as the ball was immediately cleared again. In all, the visitors managed just four shots on Joe Burke’s net — his only test came on a rebound in the middle of the second half that he managed to gather before Fryeburg’s Nabeeel Ghadfa got to the ball.

On the other end, Zeliff was under constant pressure. In the 65th minute, Freeport’s Jacob Tomm got wide and ran down a long through ball in the air. He gathered before the end-line, leaned back, and lifted a cross into the box — but it kissed off the crossbar and was narrowly cleared.

On a free kick in the 70th minute, Josh Spaulding curled a left-footed ball toward the corner of the net. After holding his position on a previous fake attempt, Zeliff sprawled out and touched the ball away for a corner.

Simply put, the Raiders were lucky just one found the back of the net.

“It would have been nice to put a few more in, but I’m hoping by the end of the season, that’s automatic,” Max Heathco said. “We’ve got the whole team working.”

The Falcons recent form — the season started with a 3-0 win over North Yarmouth Academy last Friday — is coming after a disappointing preseason in which the Falcons struggled to find the goal. Coach Heathco said extensive fitness training over the summer left his players gassed.

Tuesday’s WMC win wasn’t a pretty one, but the the coach isn’t concerned with pretty. The goal remains.

“I’m really pleased,” Joe Heathco said. “We’re a very athletic group. It was rough in the preseason — we had some growing pains. We’ve kind of got a good shape now and I feel like guys are in the right spot. We’re playing a lot better than we were a couple weeks ago.”

Freeport 1, Fryeburg 0

At Freeport High School

Goals — (Free) Max Heathco, 13th minute. Assists — (Free) Eriksen Shea. Shots — Freeport 18, Fryeburg 4. Corner kicks — Freeport 5, Fryeburg 2. Saves — (Frye) Will Zeliff 9; (Free) Joe Burke 2. Next up for the Falcons — Sept. 15, at Kennebunk, 6 p.m.