Orange outlasts UM 4-3

ORONO – One of the marks of a good team is its ability to capitalize on opponents’ mistakes.

Syracuse University striker Steve Morris, a 17-goal scorer a year ago, converted a pass from Anthony Ramoon off an errant throw-in by University of Maine fullback Ted Hawes just 45 seconds into the first overtime period to give the Orangemen a 4-3 win in the second annual Maine Kick-off Classic.

Bowling Green State University beat Siena College 5-0 earlier in the day to finish the tourney at 2-0. Maine and Syracuse went 1-1 and Siena went 0-2.

Hawes took the throw-in at midfield and tried to get it to sweeper Peter Gardula, but Ramoon intercepted it and broke into the penalty area off the right wing with Morris racing down the middle of the area. Gardula was the only defender back.

Ramoon slipped the ball to Morris.

Maine goalie Marshall White came out, but Morris’ shot glanced off White and rolled in.

“He slipped it right under my elbow,” said White. “I got a piece of it. I thought I knocked it wide.”

Hawes said he “misplayed” his throw-in.

“I didn’t throw it hard enough and I underestimated his (Ramoon’s) quickness,” said Hawes.

A minute and a half later, Maine midfielder Tim Dean received a red card and an ejection for retaliating against Syracuse’s Nino Galich.

That left the Bears with 10 men, but they still managed to manufacture a few good scoring attempts. However, they were unable to equalize.

Maine had a pair of one-goal leads in the game as John Mello and Robbie Thompson sandwiched first-half goals around one by Morris.

Mello directed a Pat Laughlin pass through the legs of Syracuse goalie Steve Pollnow at the 8:55 mark. Morris then capitalized on a direct free kick as his high shot went in off White’s hands.

Thompson broke the tie at the 36:30 mark when he volleyed a Mello pass into an open net.

Syracuse tied the game 2-2 just 7:30 into the second half when Mike Britton stole the ball from Maine’s Todd Sniper and had his cross knocked in by Ed Pinon after White dropped it.

Britton and Ramoon combined to give Syracuse its first lead of the game with 29:34 remaining, working a beautiful passing play off a counter attack that resulted in Ramoon finishing it off from 12 yards out.

But Mello equalized 17 minutes later with his fifth goal in the tournament as he took the ball from Dean and launched a 27-yarder that curled over the hands of Pollnow.

Maine played the second half and the overtime without standout center midfielder Mike McGuire (deep leg bruise) and Syracuse took advantage of McGuire’s absence by using its superior speed to create several dangerous counter attacks.

“I thought we played real well against a good opponent,” said Maine Coach Jim Dyer. “The difference in the game was that we gave away some things defensively that came back to haunt us. The second and fourth goals were not good goals. We turned the ball over in vital areas. Those goals were the killers.”

Maine goalie White shouldered some of the blame for the loss.

“If I had played even an average game, we would have won,” said White, who finished with six saves on 13 shots. Pollnow made eight stops on 16 shots.

“Maine has a great team and they’re going to have a great season,” said Syracuse Coach Tim Hankinson. “We were severely tested and were fortunate to come out on top at the end.”

In the first game of the day, Bowling Green striker Rob Martella scored a pair of goals and assisted on two others to lead the Falcons past Siena.