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ELLSWORTH – Put Erik Maleck on a soccer field – anywhere on a soccer field, as Ellsworth coach Brian Higgins sometimes does – and one thing’s for certain.
He will make … things … happen.
“He’s crazy. He’s an animal. And we need him on our team,” senior goalie Chad Smith said after Maleck had put on another textbook display of high-octane, end-to-end soccer against rival Mount Desert Island.
“He’s really valuable. Vital. We need someone who’s always attacking the ball, and he’s the person who does that,” Smith said.
And on Wednesday night at Del Luce Stadium, he was also the only player who figured out a way to score a goal.
Ellsworth 1, MDI 0.
The 8-2-1 Eagles avenged an earlier loss to their Hancock County rivals. The Trojans dropped to 7-3-2.
Maleck, a senior, nearly ran cross country this season and sat out four games after rejoining the Eagles. He has been back for three games.
The addition of Maleck has paid off for the Eagles, as he provides an aggressive presence to the young Ellsworth roster: Three freshmen and four sophomores started Wednesday.
Maleck parlays his strength and tenacity into plenty of scoring chances, and tallied the game-winner after battling through – and around – an MDI player, getting the ball on his right foot, and unleashing an 18-yard blast that diving goalkeeper Adam Thurston couldn’t corral.
Maleck’s goal came with 36:39 to go in the game, and provided Ellsworth an answer to a first half that included some scary moments.
The first came when MDI senior Myles Jordan pounded a 12-yarder off the bottom of the crossbar midway through the first. The ball caromed straight down and an Eagle defender headed it away.
“It was scary,” Smith said. “Basically I screwed up. I should have attacked instead of waiting for him to shoot. But it turned out all right.”
The second, with two minutes remaining in the period, was a point-blank Da Chang volley that hit the right post squarely and bounced away.
Maleck was surprised that one of the chances didn’t find the back of the net.
“Those were both incredible shots,” Maleck said. “They just didn’t go in. It was just luck.”
MDI coach John Rosenfeld was pleased with his team’s effort.
“It’s unfortunate losing a close game like that, but we played as hard as we’re gonna play,” MDI coach John Rosenfeld said. “That’s just one of those games we couldn’t capitalize on goals. But we have to live with that.”
Thurston made six saves on 11 shots while Ellsworth’s Smith made two stops on six shots.
Higgins said the game was similar to the earlier match, which his team lost 1-0.
“Down there we were the ones hitting the crossbar,” he said.
“The difference was a break.”
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