Anderson scores 3 in Rams’ win > Bangor tops Cougars

BANGOR – Midway through the season, Bangor coach Adam Leach decided to try and jump-start his anemic offense by playing more aggressively and sending more players on the attack. The strategy paid off handsomely as Bangor went from 4-4 to 9-5 with a No. 6 playoff seeding.

It continued to pay off Wednesday afternoon as the Rams scored quick and snatched momentum away for good en route to a 4-0 Eastern Maine Class A second-round playoff victory over No. 11 Mt. Blue of Farmington.

“We made a little switch where we decided to commit more guys to the offense. We have some pretty good talent in the middle of the field and we were having trouble scoring goals,” Leach explained. “It worked so well that we’ve stayed with it even though we’ve got some personnel back from injuries.”

Bangor will visit No. 3 Skowhegan for a Saturday quarterfinal game. Mt. Blue finishes up 6-8-2.

Wednesday’s stars were senior halfback Matt Anderson – who notched the first hat trick by a Bangor player in two years, according to Leach – and senior goalie Brian Sing, who earned his fourth shutout this season by stopping six of eight shots.

Mt. Blue’s shot chances were limited by two things, Bangor’s blanketing defensive style and Sing’s aggressive play between and in front of the pipes.

“That’s pretty much the way I’ve played all year. I just try to take away some shots before they can take them,” said Sing. “And we have a pretty solid defense, so that makes things easier for me.”

The Rams made it a lot easier on themselves with a goal in the second minute of the game. Anderson was stationed on the left side as the Rams rushed toward the net. Jim Shea launched a diagonal pass to him near the 18 and Anderson took a shot. The ball ricocheted off a Mt. Blue defender, bounced off the goalie, who was on the ground after diving to make a save, and into the net.

The goal, scored just 1:49 into the game, seemed to frazzle the Cougars and invigorate the Rams at the same time.

“We hoped if we got them down early they’d get discouraged,” said Anderson. “That first one was huge because if they get up, we know they like to pack all 11 players in the 18 so the other team can’t tie it up.”

Midfielder Jay Jeffrey made it 2-0 15 minutes later on a hard kick from the left side off a well-placed throw-in by Scott Lever from the right corner.

“The three-man front helped a lot. That just boosts our offense and we’re a lot more aggressive around the net,” said Jeffrey.

Mt. Blue appeared to regain composure and even things up early in the second half, but Bangor went on the attack again late, making it 3-0 with 14:17 left as Anderson knocked in a loose ball in the midst of a scramble in front of the net.

Bangor’s final goal came with six minutes to play. Jeffrey kicked a line drive from the corner that Kyle Cutshall decoyed and Anderson blasted into the net from the left side.

Cougars coach Fred Lesperance said the opening minutes pretty much set the tone for the game.

“I don’t think we came mentally prepared,” he said. “We weren’t marking up well … I don’t know whether it was the bus ride or the weather or what, but we were off.”