Central strikes early, tops Ponies Red Devils now 2-0 in first Class B season

CORINTH – It’s been less than a week since the high school soccer season started, but the Central boys soccer team couldn’t be more pleased with its debut in Eastern Maine Class B.

Earlier this week the Red Devils defeated defending regional champion John Bapst of Bangor, and Thursday the Devils scored three first-half goals and handled Foxcroft Academy en route to a 4-0 win at a blustery high school field.

“It’s still too early, but going into the season not knowing anything about these teams, we’re very excited,” said Central coach Paul Speed.

The formerly Class C Red Devils, coming off a 2-1 win over Bapst, dominated the Ponies (0-2) to the tune of a 25-7 advantage in shots on goal. At least three of those hit the crossbar and posts.

Central put in three first-half goals, including two scored in a span of 1 minute, 18 seconds. Jacob Speed, one of Paul Speed’s three nephews playing on the team, led the Devils with a goal and an assist.

Jacob Speed scored on a 35-yard blast in the second half and assisted on a goal by Ryan Bean, who ran onto Speed’s pass and kicked in a ball from the right wing.

Bean had tried a shot or crossing pass several times from that wing earlier in the game.

“The few times I was there I was ahead of everyone so I couldn’t cross it, so I just decided to put one on,” he said. “On the goal, the goalie came out too far so I just had to place it.”

Central’s front line gave Foxcroft trouble all game, especially because the Devils forced the Ponies’ defenders to spread out.

“They played really wide with the forwards and beat us all day on that,” Foxcroft coach Glenn Hodgkinson said. “They had really good strong people on their left and right wings. That also gave their midfield guys options to pass through.”

The Devils were also able to control the pace by winning 50-50 balls, which they did often with headers.

“We try to win every ball and distribute from there,” said Scott Kelley, a senior captain.

The Devils have been focused on going after 50-50 balls, especially in the air.

“We’re working on being aggressive, attacking the ball, because in the past we haven’t done that as much as I’d like,” Paul Speed said. “We’ve got some kids who aren’t afraid to be aggressive and go up in the air and get it.”

Kelley was credited with the first goal of the game even though his long throw-in from the left sideline actually went in off the hands of Ponies’ goalie J.R. Oh.

Bean and Patrick Byers, who chipped a ball into the net when Oh came out from the goal, scored in quick succession for a 3-0 halftime lead.

Oh held up well despite the Devils’ barrage of shots, making 13 saves.

Central starting goalie Tyler Pineo made four saves on six shots. Backup Jon Daniel saved the only shot he faced.

The Ponies have only been playing together for about a week because most of the Foxcroft players are foreign students who weren’t in the United States for the start of preseason on Aug. 13. Hodgkinson said his team held up fitness-wise better Thursday.

“We just made some individual mistakes and that led to two or three of their goals,” he said.