Corbin, Lee edge depleted Warriors

DYER BROOK — Matt Corbin of Lee Academy scored the game-winning goal in a second overtime period Tuesday, lifting the Pandas to a 2-1 schoolboy soccer win over Southern Aroostook at the high school field.

The game was nearly as satisfying for Warriors coach Jon Porter.

After all, Southern Aroostook had been forced to postpone two previous games because the team didn’t have enough players. The Warriors have been practicing for two weeks but they haven’t scrimmaged anyone or even gone full-field in a workout.

Senior striker Josh Holman is out with a knee injury, and senior goalkeeper Jeff Swallow had to be moved to the front line because he separated his shoulder recently.

On Tuesday, Southern Aroostook actually had 13 players ready for the first time all season. But more bad luck befell the team during the game. Warm weather caused cramping in Swallow’s legs, forcing him to sit for much of the game. And when Corey Edkins was issued a yellow card with 15:22 left in regulation, Southern Aroostook had 10 players on the field — one short of the regulation 11 — and no one on the bench.

Despite all of the distractions, the Warriors nearly held off the Pandas until Corbin scored with one minute and one second left in the second OT.

With the game tied at 1-1, both teams had offensive flurries and defensive stops until Lee’s Frank Severance chest-trapped a goal kick and sent a pass to Corbin at the 18-yard line. Corbin took a few steps and fired the ball past freshman goalie Zac Philibert.

“It felt good,” Corbin said. “I think [the offense] is going to come for us once we get going. Our defense really kicked in in the second half.”

Lee coach Galen Thompson wasn’t surprised that the game-winner came from Corbin, who was the Pandas’ scoring leader last season.

“When he gets in the open field and gets the defender on his heels, he’s one of the fastest guys around,” Thompson said. “That was a pretty goal, as good as it gets right there. We’re gonna need him to be a big part of our offense.”

After a scoreless first half in which Lee outshot Southern Aroostook 9-6, but the Warriors had more quality chances, Southern Aroostook freshman forward Jon Holman took a pass from senior Devon Wilkins on the left wing and shot it in with 26:15 left in regulation.

“A lot of the goal started with Devon Wilkins,” Porter said. “He just set him up with the pass, there was a strong run-through and shot. Jon’s showed a lot of potential early. He’s got quite a bit of speed.”

Lee tied it up 16 minutes later when Dustin Pickering, who missed 20 minutes of the game because of a yellow card in the first half, crossed the ball from the left wing to Blair Emery for the goal.

Emery’s score certainly wasn’t the Pandas’ first shot of the game. But it was one of their best chances.

Philibert made 13 saves on 23 shots and took some dives in the dirt to stop Corbin’s attempts, but Lee created problems of its own with shots that went wide of the goal or over the crossbar.

“[Southern Aroostook] really passed and cut well and I thought they played a better field game,” Thompson said. “We were way out of synch. We’ve had a couple of scrimmage games and it’s the same thing. Guys don’t know where everyone’s going to be.”

Pandas goalie Adam Ham made four saves on 14 shots.

Porter praised his younger players, along with defenders Jarred Grant, Kevin Dubois, Joe St. Pierre and Matt McCluskey. Dubois wasn’t playing in a stopper position, but he stopped almost every Lee forward who came near him.

“My freshman striker scored, my freshman goalie made some great saves and kept us in the game,” Porter said.