Eagles trip up Broncs Stupinski keys Mount Ararat

HAMPDEN – Mount Ararat didn’t generate many quality scoring chances in Wednesday’s Eastern Maine Class A girls soccer semifinal against Hampden Academy.

With the powerful left leg of junior striker Erika Stupinski, the Eagles didn’t need many.

Stupinski scored two goals, both from outside the penalty area, to lift third-seeded Mount Ararat of Topsham to a 2-1 victory over No. 2 Hampden.

The 12-1-2 Eagles advance to Saturday’s regional title game against archrival Brunswick.

Despite dominating Mount Ararat for the second straight year, the Broncos came up empty. HA ends the season 15-1.

“I think it’s becoming a trend that I’m not liking, the ‘Mount Ararat Curse,’ ” said Hampden coach Kurt Mathies, whose club was knocked out of the postseason by the Eagles in similar fashion last season.

“I felt we controlled the game,” he added. “We’re taking plenty of shots on goal, we’re just not putting it in.”

The Broncos outshot the Eagles 19-14 and had more quality chances. In spite of HA’s territorial edge, Mount Ararat took the lead with 16:40 left in the second half.

Senior Georgia Ahlers, a key second-half sub, got the ball on the right side and pushed a quick pass ahead to Stupinski in the middle. Without settling the bouncer, Stupinski fired a left-footed shot from 25 yards out that caromed hard at the feet of HA goalkeeper Gabby Schrage and bounced over her head and into the goal.

“Whenever [Ahlers is] on the right side she has a tendency to go right,” Stupinski said. “She actually went left, which is good. I just called for it, then I turned and shot it. I was lucky.”

The Broncos threatened to tie it with 7:40 left, thanks to the speed and creativity of sophomore midfielder Kim Stephenson. She made a run down the left wing, then cut back toward the middle before launching a shot from 25 yards away.

The ball ricocheted off the crossbar and out in front, where HA’s Tyne Franchi attempted a header that sailed just high and wide of the goal.

Hampden took an early 1-0 lead when Stephenson set up Danielle Billings, whose shot beat Mount Ararat keeper Ashley Nesbit to her left from 15 yards away with 4:23 gone.

Stupinski tied it, taking a pass from Natalie Hunt, making a run to her left, then blasting a beautiful shot high into the upper righthand corner.

“We knew to test the goalie, take the shot early, not give them any time to settle,” said Mount Ararat coach Sam Chard. “Two shots from long range caught them off-guard.”

Nesbit made 11 saves for Mount Ararat, while Schrage came up with four stops for HA.

The Broncos received strong efforts from forward Billings and back Emmy Russell, along with Franchi. Stopper Erin Lacey was outstanding for Mount Ararat.