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Coastal SC's hopes in jeopardy
By Jenn Menendez
Staff Writer
BRUNSWICK —The Coastal SC U-18 boys' team didn't suffer a loss in last year's U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Championships until the tournament final.
On Friday, the team dropped a 2-0 decision to Montgomery United of Eastern Pennsylvania, setting up an uphill battle to reach this year's final.
"We had our spells they had their spells," said goalie Oliver Blum, a Greely High School standout. "Soccer is a game of mistakes. I'm sure we'll step up now. But we've got to hope they lose one of their games for us to have a chance to move on."
Montgomery United's Cody Antonidi scored in the 35th minute, banking a through ball off the right post and into the net. Andrew Goldberg scored in the 90th minute, with Blum scrambling to get back into position after defending a breakaway.
"They played very well. I thought we capitalized on a chance early, and this heat makes it hard to (come back)," said Montgomery United Coach Jim Rio.
Coastal SC has two more games in its pool, against Nordic SC of Vermont at 4:45 p.m. today, and against Syracuse FC at 1:15 p.m. Sunday.
Coastal SC was one of the touted teams from Maine entering the tournament after making it to the regional final as U-17s last year.
Many of Coastal's players have won seven state championships from U-12 to U-18, and the roster includes at least a dozen players who have been together since the sixth grade.
Eddie Jones, a striker from Scarborough, had a strong game for Coastal, as did Sam Kaplan, a defender from Brunswick.
Jones had two prime chances in the first half. He shot wide to the left of the net from about 18 yards out 15 minutes into the game, and he was unable to redirect a cross with seven minutes left in the half.
Tony Yeboah, a striker from Deering High, had several prime chances in the second half, but two of his shots went wide.
"That guy up top was a handful," said Rio, referring to Yeboah.
The two teams met in the Region I tournament in Virginia Beach, Va., two years ago, playing as U-16s. Coastal SC lost 1-0.
So when the teams squared off Friday, they were familiar with each other.
Kaplan said he felt his team's performance on the whole was strong, but Montgomery United simply buried its chances.
"They had two or three opportunities and put two away," he said. "We had five or six and didn't. To be honest I felt like we carried the play. But we've just got to regroup and get in the right place mentally."
Late goals upend Maine Coast United
By ANDREW ALLEGRETTA
Special to the Press Herald
BRUNSWICK — Well, that didn't take long.
The Maine Coast United U-15 girls had a 1-0 lead over the Syosset (N.Y.) Rough Riders with three minutes left in their opening game Friday at the U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Championships.
Three minutes later, Maine had lost, 2-1.
Syosset tied the game when Gabby Charno sneaked behind the defense, corralled a pass and buried it in the back off the net.
Before Maine had a chance to regroup, Syosset scored again, as Jackie Hertling finessing the ball just inside the far post from the top of the box.
"We had the bulk of the possession, we had the bulk of the shots," said Syosset Coach Joe Agiato. "But the only thing that matters is how many goals you have at the end of the game. And up until the last couple minutes, they had the only goal."
And the Maine bench was just hoping -- not expecting -- they could hold on to that one-goal lead.
"With five minutes left I got into my typical, 'Please God,' mode," Maine Coach Marsha Lycan said.
"Time cannot go fast enough. The bench was sort of the same way. They were counting the minutes and fingers were crossed and toes were crossed.
Maine's focus before the game was on defense. The two teams played in March in Manhattan, and Syosset rolled to a 4-0 win.
Lycan understood how good Syosset was offensively and knew what kind of execution Maine would need to keep things close.
"(Our defense) did exactly what they had to do to shut (Syosset) down," said Lycan.
They carried out their game plan to perfection until the last two minutes of the game.
Maine goalie Elizabeth Estabrook had little to no chance to stop the last-minute goals. But even though the late shots eluded her, she was a major reason Maine kept the game close.
Syosset dominated the pace of play, and Estabrook said she wasn't surprised by the endless offensive attack.
"This is my fourth time (in the regionals), so I'm used to playing those tough teams and just having them come at me," Estabrook said.
"I have no idea (how many shots I faced), but it was so many, though."
Despite the tough loss, Estabrook said her team still accomplished its goal -- no matter how modest it was.
"We came in here not expecting to win any of the games. Our goal was to score a goal. And we did it in the first half."
Karyn Barrett netted Maine's only tally on a corner kick midway through the first half.
The goal was initially waved off because a whistle blew at the same time the ball trickled over the line.
The referee was about to call a penalty kick because Syosset's goalie pushed a Maine defender. But the officials talked it over and ruled the ball crossed the line before the whistle blew.
Maine Coastal then desperately clung to that 1-0 lead, but Lycan said Syosset was just too good for such a slim margin to last.
"When you play teams that are that skilled, the weaker team tends to get worn out," Lycan said.
"I said to (the players) after the game, it's kind of like running a 5K against somebody, but you have to run a 10K.
"We were so drained by the end of the game. They were playing with their heart, but they didn't have anything left in their tank."
Other games:
Martin Carrillo-Saldana recorded a hat trick, and Matthew Hoffman-Johnson and Thomas Mourmouras also scored to lead Coastal Thunder to a 6-1 win over Bayside FC of Rhode Island in the U-16 boys' division of the U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Championships.
U-15 BOYS
CASA MIA BAYS 93 (MD) 9, MAINE COAST UNITED MOXIE 0: After falling behind 3-0 at halftime, Maine Coast United Moxie was outscored 6-0 in the second half at the Wainwright Complex in South Portland.
U-17 GIRLS
COASTAL SC (ME) 2, NORDIC PREMIER (VT) 2: Jessica Taylor scored two goals early in the second half as Coastal SC built a 2-0 lead before settling for a tie against Nordic Premier of Vermont, at Brunswick.
U-18 GIRLS
ODYSSEY SPORT SC (ME) 3, CAPITAL SC (VT) 2: Kathryn Hess scored in the final minute of regulation to give Odyssey Sport SC a win over Capital SC of Vermont, at South Portland.
Teal Bryan added a pair of goals for Odyssey Sport.
U-19 GIRLS
COASTAL UNITED (ME) 2, NOVA SC (MA) 2: Mikayla Call and Danielle Plourde each scored a goal as Coastal United rallied from an early 2-0 deficit against Nova SC of Massachusetts, at South Portland.
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