Strong defense powers Bangor past Old Town Rams hand Indians first loss

OLD TOWN – The Bangor girls soccer team scored two goals in a Wednesday evening’s game against previously undefeated Old Town. But you can thank the Rams’ defense for the win.

Defender Megan McCrum scored the game-winner and helped limit one of the top forwards in the area as Bangor earned a 2-1 victory over Old Town at Victory Field.

The Rams are now 3-1-1. The Indians go to 4-1.

“This is a very big win for us,” McCrum said. “Coach [Jeff Ingalls] said it all. They’re a good team and they’re going to be worth a lot of points. We really needed this.”

The Rams sure played as if they needed the win. Bangor didn’t let an early Old Town goal keep them from controlling most of the game.

McCrum’s goal, scored with 25:11 left, started as a direct kick by Justine Smith. Smith sent the ball into the penalty area and after it settled, McCrum sent the ball into the net.

“I think Candida [Carvajal] may have deflected it. I just saw it and went for it,” McCrum said. “I knew it was going in.”

It’s fun to get in on the scoring, but McCrum’s main job is defense. She was part of a double team, along with Lauren Quaglia and Erica Schweikert, assigned to keep Old Town forward Hannah Marquis contained.

“Lauren played very well,” McCrum said. “She started off with her and Erica came in and played very well, too. I double-teamed when I had a chance. [Marquis has] won a lot of games for them and we knew we had to key on her.”

Old Town coach Mike St. Peter said Bangor’s defense bothered his squad.

“They did a good job slowing us down,” he said. “They did a good job marking Hannah Marquis. … I moved her around to see if we could free her up, but it just wasn’t happening.”

Old Town had a number of good chances, especially in the final 10 minutes. Marquis, who had kicked a shot just over the crossbar earlier, slipped a ball wide of the right post with about nine minutes remaining.

She also tried a corner kick that nearly went in. And with 1:40, Bangor goalie Ilyse Angst jumped to make an excellent save on a high Old Town shot that seemed marked for the back of the net.

“I had to get a hand on it, at least keep it from going in,” said Angst, a freshman who was mobbed by the Rams when she came off the field. “If I didn’t it would be a whole different game. I knew I had to get a hand on it and save it, and that’s what I did.”

Angst finished with five saves on eight shots.

Old Town shocked the crowd – and the Rams momentarily – when Katie Bergeron scored on a Marquis direct kick 31 seconds into the game.

Carvajal tied the game when she booted in a ball from about 30 yards with 13:07 left in the first half. The ball bounced over the head of Old Town goalie Whitney Carey, who made six saves on eight shots.