Unbeaten Bucks battle past Ellsworth

BUCKSPORT – The kind of good chances that the Ellsworth girls soccer team had in the first half of its game against Bucksport Tuesday were the same kind of chances the Golden Bucks had in the second half.

The difference in the game at cool, damp Watson Field? Bucksport’s shots went into the net.

The Bucks overcame the Eagles’ good first half and upped their play in the second, earning a 2-0 victory and remaining undefeated with an 8-0-1 record. Bucksport was No. 2 in the Class B South Eastern Heal Point standings released Tuesday.

Ellsworth, ranked fourth, falls to 5-2-2. The teams played to a 2-2 tie at the beginning of the season.

The Bucks have been inching on up the Eagles, a perennial Class B power.

“For so long Ellsworth’s been the best team we play,” said Bucksport’s Brittany Damon, who had an assist on the game-winning goal and added an insurance score. “This is a great victory.”

It was only really great in the second half as Ellsworth controlled much of the first. That’s the way it’s been for Bucksport this year.

“It seems like we play OK in the first half but we don’t score any goals or do anything outstanding until the second half,” said midfielder Elissa Gordon.

Bucksport’s first goal came seven minutes, 13 seconds into the second period. Damon sent a pass to Nichole Pacheco, who was all alone at the left post. She booted the ball into the net.

Damon and Jessie Taylor combined on the same kind of goal – a pass right in front of the goal to a wide-open player – with 6:03 left in the game, this time with Damon on the receiving end.

“I tried to go wide and then I was open in front of the goal because nobody was standing there,” Damon said.

Other than leaving Damon and Pacheco unmarked in the penalty area, the Eagles didn’t make many mistakes and didn’t let the Bucks get off many good chances.

Ellsworth outshot Bucksport 11-9 in the second half and 17-16 overall.

“Defensively we shut them down in the first half,” said Ellsworth coach Jen Myers. “It just takes one lapse, one mistake. … They converted their chances and we didn’t and I think we had similar opportunities.”

Bucksport goalie Jana Richards Ellsworth’s Victoria Jones finished with eight saves each.