Oertel, Larochelle, Jeffrey pace Rams Bangor beats Eagles to cap 6-0-1 streak

BANGOR – After starting the season on shaky footing, the Bangor boys soccer team seems to have righted itself.

The Rams rallied from an early deficit and held off one of the top Eastern Maine teams for a 5-2 victory over Ellsworth at the high school field Monday afternoon.

Both teams wrap up their regular seasons at 9-4-1 and await their matchups for the playoffs.

The Class A Rams have been rolling lately, with six wins and one tie in their last seven games. They dominated play Monday, passing well in the midfield, winning balls and outshooting Class B Ellsworth 21-8.

“Today we really picked it up,” said stopper Luke Ellis, who had an assist for the Rams. “Our defense really clicked and it seems like the offense is able to click with the defense so we were able to have quick transitions.”

Jeff Oertel had two goals, including the eventual game-winner with 4:30 left in the first half. But it was an earlier score that gave Bangor the spark it needed. Ellsworth had a 1-0 lead early in the game when Bangor tallied two goals 20 seconds apart.

Josh York’s goal gave the Rams the lead with 21:40 left in the first, 20 seconds after Matt Larochelle tied it up.

Joe Taylor passed the ball to York, who worked his way through the Ellsworth defense, settled the ball about 12 yards away and kicked it in.

“Joe played a beautiful ball over a defender’s head and the ball just came to me,” York said. “Their sweeper just kind of laid back and I [thought], just take it to ’em.”

York was unmarked when he took his shot, as was Bangor’s Oertel when he put in a Larochelle pass in the second half.

“[Ellsworth’s defenders] just didn’t track back very good,” Ellsworth coach Brian Higgins said. “That’s certainly critical.”

Ryan Jeffrey added a goal and an assist for the Rams.

Payson Nichols started in goal for Bangor and Josh Heath finished the game. The two combined for six saves.

Ellis, who starts at stopper, and other Bangor defenders were responsible for keeping Ellsworth forward Eric Maleck from getting too involved in the game.

“He’s such a great athlete and he’s up front and they send him,” Bangor coach Adam Leach said. “So we gave him a little bit of room back in the midfield and didn’t let him get behind us. That’s all we could do to contain him.”

Seth Mayo and Jensen Rich hooked up for the Eagles’ first goal, with Mayo heading in Rich’s corner kick. Ellsworth, always so strong on set plays, had 10 corner kicks in the game but was unable to get anything past Nichols.

“The corner kicks were the most dangerous scoring situations we had all game long,” Higgins said. “We just didn’t have enough [chances]. They outplayed us.”

Mayo tallied Ellsworth’s second goal on a penalty kick.