Quick start helps Searsport defeat the Pirates
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
KICKER’S WIND UP — Getting ready to unleash his shot is Pirate senior Nick Easler as Searsport senior Lucas Hendrickson weighs the risk of getting in the way of the ball or not.
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
GUILFORD — A Sept. 24 boys soccer game between Piscataquis Community High School and Searsport District High School served as the 2016 Homecoming contest for the Pirates, but the Class D South Vikings ended up as the team celebrating. Searsport scored three goals in the opening few minutes and finished with a 10-4 victory.
The Vikings – the team picked up its third consecutive victory to improve to 6-1 in the lone meeting of the season with the Pirates – had a trio of goals in the first 3:25, with junior Liam MacMillan picking up the first two of his game-high four. Searsport would another goal at the 23:52-mark to lead 4-0.
Once play resumed PCHS (3-4) quickly brought the ball up the field. Junior Dillon Drew chipped the ball toward the goal from outside the box and junior Bryce Gilbert was in position to head it in to put the Pirates on the scoreboard 10 seconds after the previous goal for the opposition.
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BOYS SOCCER Searsport 10, PCHS 4
SEARS 5 5 | 10
PCHS 2 2 | 4
First half: S — MacMillan;
S — MacMillan;
S — Kneeland (MacMillan);
S- Grant;
P — Gilbert (Drew);
S — MacMillan (Powell);
P — Kane (Gilbert);
S — Grant;
S — Kneeland.
Second half:
S — MacMillan; P — Gilbert (Kane);
S — Grant;
S — Kneeland (Grant);
P— Gilbert.
Saves: S — Powell 10;
P — Febus and Kimball 14.
Corner kicks: S — 6;
P — 6.
Records: S — 6-1;
P — 3-4.
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Later in the opening half Gilbert kicked the ball into the box where junior Cameron Kane and Searsport junior keeper Ben Powell got into a foot race for the loose ball. Kane won control and he directed the ball around Powell and in to make the game 5-2 at that point.
The scoring sheet ended up at 3-2 for Searsport-PCHS in the second 40-minute session. Nearly 10 minutes in, Kane brought the ball up the field and from the right corner he fired off a crossing pass. Gilbert got a head on the ball for the goal.
Gilbert would pick up his third goal of the game, to go along with an assist for a hand in all four, in the final minutes. Following a corner kick Gilbert was awarded a direct free kick. Gilbert took a few steps back and ran up and sent the ball into the right corner for his third goal and his team’s fourth.
Senior Tyler Febus and freshman Sean Kimball combined to make 14 saves on 23 shots for the Pirates.
PCHS is scheduled to play next on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 4 p.m. when the Pirates host neighboring Class C North rival Dexter Regional High School (0-7 as of presstime). PCHS won at Dexter, 2-1, in the team’s 2016 opener.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
ONE HAND TOUCH — Junior Dillon Drew and Searsport sophomore Charlie Spiegel make contact playing for a loose ball during the first half of Saturday’s game.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
THREE-GOAL GAME — PCHS junior Bryce Gilbert looks to pass around Searsport freshman Deagan Moody during the Pirates’ Homecoming contest on Sept. 24. Gilbert would score three times and assist on the fourth Pirate goal during the 10-4 contest.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
IN CONTROL — PCHS junior Cameron Kane snags a ball out of the air during the second half on Sept. 24. Looking on is Kane’s teammate junior Bryce Gilbert and Searsport junior Liam MacMillan.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
THAT’S USING YOUR HEAD — Keeping the ball in play on a header is PCHS senior Spencer Adkins and away from Searsport senior Barrett Grant (24) and junior Connor Kneeland.