WISCASSET — Two teams entered Thursday’s Mountain Valley Conference girls soccer contest riding hot six-game streaks.
Lisbon came in winners of five of its past six contests, while Wiscasset took to its home turf riding a 5-0-1 stretch, including a shutout victory over previously unbeaten St. Dom’s on Sept. 23.
Something had to give.
Shania Marr made sure it was the Wolverines who came out on top. Marr scored with 23:52 remaining in the second half for a 2-1 victory, giving Wiscasset a 7-2-1 mark with a key contest slated for Monday at Monmouth. The Wolverines are currently third in the Western Maine Class C Heal Points Standings, while the Mustangs are seventh.
Meanwhile, the Greyhounds fell to 5-4, still in search for a key win against a top-notch opponent. Lisbon defeated Mt. Abram on Sept. 25, the team’s only victory against a current playoff-positioned Western Class C team.
“I thought we came out really slow, not winning 50-50 balls that we normally win,” said Wiscasset coach Duane Goud. “Lisbon won a lot of balls, but we had several opportunities that we didn’t capitalize on. In the second half, the girls went for the winning goal and tried hard for this win.”
Marr’s goal began with an innocent chip that took a big bounce over several players before landing on the striker’s foot.
“It went over a lot of peoples heads, and I just booted it in,” said Marr of her game-winning goal. “At halftime, we talked about getting our heads into it and getting this win. Lisbon is really fast, and they made good triangle passes. They were a tough opponent for us.”
Wiscasset owned all the statistical categories, outshooting Lisbon 19-5 and holding a 7-2 corner kick advantage. Still, the Greyhounds were one key shot away from tying the game late when Paige Galligan sent a corner kick toward the Wolverines goal that Wiscasset netminder Kayla Gordon (three saves) first bobbled, then grabbed before a host of Greyhound cleats were able to make contact with the loose ball.
“We are trying to get better every day,” said Lisbon coach Jake Gentle, whose Greyhounds host Carrabec on Monday. “Wiscasset is a tough team to beat at home, so to fall down just 2-1, knowing that a touch here or touch there and we are tied, I have no complaints.”
Early fireworks
Wiscasset came out flying, with Sarah Hanley getting behind the Lisbon defense for a breakaway 30 seconds in. Her shot from point-blank range was right at Lisbon goaltender Ally Sult, who made the save to keep the game scoreless.
After a series of Lisbon possessions in the Wolverines side of the field, Wiscasset counter attacked, with Hanley taking a pass from Miranda McIntire (two assists) and firing a shot past the dive of Sult of a 1-0 lead at the eight-minute mark.
Wiscasset nearly doubled its lead moments later as Maeve Carlson sent a shot through traffic that had Sult diving to her right to keep the ball out of the cage.
The Greyhounds failed to generate much on the offensive end, but received a break when a Wiscasset defender was called for an elbow in the penalty area, giving Lisbon a penalty kick. Deliah Schrieber calmly ripped a shot into the lower left corner of the cage to tie the game with 24:47 left until halftime.
Wiscasset controlled things from there, holding a 12-2 edge in first-half shots, though most were from long distance thanks to the work of Lisbon midfielder Kailyn Hill, who routinely cleared Wolverine chances out of danger, along with Greyhound defenders Abby Gamache, Loren Grant, Shantal MacWhinnie and Drew Stewart-Staples.
“I think we are growing very well,” said Hill, who stands nearly 6-foot tall and uses every inch of her size to her advantage. “We have a freshman goaltender in Ally Sult (12 saves), and she is very good and is getting better every game. We are moving in the right direction as a team.”
The Wiscasset defense closed down most of Lisbon’s runs in the second half as defenders Carlson, Michaela Trudeau, Hanna Foye and Briana Goud were solid.
“Defensively I thought we played well, keeping the ball out of the area near our goalie,” said Duane Goud. “We are gaining all the time. We have put up five wins in a row since tying Oak Hill (Sept. 19), and our confidence is growing with every success.”
“Their defense is really good, Briana Goud in the stopper position is one of the better players in the conference and dictates what goes on back there,” said Gentle.
With the time ticking away, Sult kept the Greyhounds in it, charging from her goal line to stuff a Marr chance with 2:17 remaining, but Lisbon was bottled up the rest of the way.
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