Cougars top Tigers in a breeze

FORT FAIRFIELD – The first key strategic move of Wednesday afternoon’s boys soccer game may have happened even before the game started.

The Fort Fairfield boys won the coin toss, decided to shoot at the south goal so they’d have the wind at their backs, and dominated the first half.

But the Tigers didn’t score. That meant all the Katahdin boys had to do was wait until it was their turn to have the wind.

The Cougars held up in the first half despite a flurry of Tiger direct kicks and corner kicks, and then got a goal and an assist from Marshall Davis in the second half to earn a 2-0 win.

Katahdin of Stacyville, which has recorded nine goals in two games, moves to 2-0. Fort Fairfield falls to 1-4.

Playing with the wind in the second half, Katahdin outshot Fort Fairfield 11-2 after an even first half in which each team had six shots.

“It was a lot tougher in the first half and we lost the coin toss, so that didn’t help,” Davis said.

Davis scored the eventual game-winner with 24 minutes, 34 seconds left in the game. He settled a pass from fellow forward Andy Kay and took the ball in himself, getting past a Fort defender on the way. Davis booted it in from about the 18-yard line.

He nearly scored eight minutes into the second half when he got to the right post alone, but his shot was wide of the left post.

“It was really frustrating for a while,” said Davis, who already has four goals this season.

Katahdin’s Tom Anderson put in the insurance goal with 3:14 left. This time, Davis sent a through-ball up to Anderson, who shot it in.

Katahdin’s defense, anchored by lone senior Casey Savage, held up as Fort Fairfield tried to take advantage of a strong breeze at its backs in the first half.

Fort Fairfield coach John Ala told his captains to go with the wind if the Tigers won the coin toss, which they did. They held possession most of the first half and were awarded five direct kicks, all within 35 yards of the goal, and three corner kicks.

But Fort Fairfield wasn’t able to capitalize.

“We had quite a few opportunities to score but we just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net,” Ala said. “On our directs, I thought we took some pretty good shots, but they just seemed a little too high or wide.”

The Cougars were prepared to defend set plays.

“We’ve worked on direct kicks a lot in practice,” Savage said.

The Tigers also tried to push the ball into 6-foot-2 standout forward Brendan McLaughlin. He was marked by fullback Kaleb Pelletier, who is one of the shortest players on the Katahdin squad.

“The only time it would have been dangerous was if the ball was in the air, but I think Kaleb kind of out-skilled him with his feet,” Cougars coach Matt Lindsay said. “He’s a great ball-handler and a very smart player. Height’s a big factor, but he cuts it down to nothing.”

Katahdin goalie Matt Tarr made three saves on eight shots for his second straight shutout. Fort Fairfield’s Jordan Buhro stopped six of 17 shots.