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BRUNSWICK – The wait is over for Adam Leach.
The Bangor High School boys soccer coach played in the 1987 state Class C state schoolboy soccer championship game for Ashland against St. Dominic of Lewiston. He was a striker for the Hornets.
On Saturday, he will lead his Rams into their first state soccer championship game in the program’s 28-year history when they take on Scarborough at 1 p.m. at the Windham High School field.
Bangor appeared in its first-ever Eastern Maine Class A championship game on Tuesday and emerged with a thrilling 2-1 double overtime win over previously unbeaten Brunswick.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to get back there,” said Leach, who is in his eighth season at Bangor. “Once you get a taste of it, you never forget it.”
What does he remember about his 3-0 loss to St. Dom’s in 1987?
“Everything. We played the state game at Thomas College [in Waterville]. We got it handed to us in good shape. It was 3-0 but it could have been worse,” said Leach.
Leach admits he felt he would eventually take a Bangor team to a state championship game but that he had some doubts after last season when his fourth-seeded Rams were upset by fifth-seeded archrival Hampden Academy in the quarterfinals.
“I said ‘If I didn’t make it with this team, when am I going to make it?,” said Leach.
He lost 14 players off last year’s 11-2-2 team and thought this was going to be a rebuilding season.
“I knew we were still going to be good this year. I knew we’d be very competitive and we’d have a chance to win a lot of games. Every single day, things seemed to be going more our way. The team gets along so well. The team chemistry is unbelievable,” said Leach.
He said he is blessed to have a “great feeder system.
“It should have been a rebuilding year but it’s more like reloading. Year after year, we get kids who know how to play the game. We spend very little time teaching and more time coaching,” said Leach, whose team also possesses exceptional depth. “The guys are so good at being focused. I don’t have to yell and scream during games.”
His Rams are 15-1-1 and have another win, 2-1 over Brunswick in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championship game which doesn’t count on the record.
They have allowed only nine goals in 18 games, including the KVAC title game.
“[Assistant coach] Don Erb has been the real difference. He knows defense like nobody else I’ve ever worked with,” said Leach. “He really knows what he’s doing. He knows how the recognize a player’s strengths. And he gets them to work to play team defense.”
Bangor’s defense was severely tested by a Brunswick team that exhibited tremendous foot skills, speed and passing prowess.
The Rams held them scoreless for 78:55 and they overcame a late tying goal by Corey Underwood which created a dramatic momentum swing for the Dragons entering the first overtime session.
“Surviving that first overtime was tough,” said Leach. “It was such a huge emotional swing.”
Ram senior midfielder JoJo Hwalek said “we felt really bad after we gave up that goal. We were lucky to get through that first overtime. Brunswick was pushing us hard. Our defense kept them out.”
“At times we bent but we didn’t break,” said Leach.
Young players have played important roles and it was no different on Tuesday.
Freshman striker Nick George set up senior Troy Jellison’s first-half goal and sophomore Mack Susi scored the game-winner in the second overtime.
“He’s not the biggest player. He’s not the strongest player. But he’s a smart player. He can really analyze what’s going on and he knows where to be,” said Leach, who will 36 next week. “He has a very strong knack for being in the right place at the right time.”
BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY GABOR DEGRE
Dan Taft (left) of Bangor and Jake Springer of Brunswick go up to head the ball in second-half action of the Eastern Maine Class A final in Brunswick Tuesday. Bangor won 2-1 in double overtime.
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