HOWLAND – The members of Central of Corinth’s boys soccer team were shaking their heads in frustration during halftime of Monday’s game against Penobscot Valley.

The Red Devils had been peppering Penobscot Valley’s net in the first half and had a 13-3 shot advantage but no goals to show for it.

“There was a little frustration at the time, but we told them to just keep their heads up and keep pressuring them,” said Red Devils coach Paul Speed. “I knew they’d come eventually.”

Eventually came nearly 13 minutes into the second half as Patrick Byers’ goal off a header broke the scoring drought as well as Howler goalie Aaron Awalt’s hex on the Devils and sent Central on to a 2-0 victory on a drizzly afternoon.

Awalt did everything but make saves while standing on his head as he turned aside 26 of 28 shots, but it wasn’t enough to keep his 2-1 Howlers unbeaten.

“That kid played a whale of a game,” Speed said. “He was all over the place and kept them in the game the whole time. He was real aggressive, but for the most part he played smart.”

Not bad for a senior who hadn’t played soccer at any level before this fall and didn’t get back from vacation overseas for practice until two days before school started.

“I got two weeks of training with a goalie coach and he really helped me out,” said Awalt, who plays a very aggressive, gambling style of goalkeeping. “I started out more reckless, but I think I’m starting to get it.”

Even when the 3-0 Devils did score, they had to earn it. With 27 minutes, 7 seconds left, Jacob Speed nailed a solid corner kick from the left corner to Patrick Byers, who was standing near the right post of the net.

Byers headed the pass forward, but Awalt got a hand on it and deflected it back. The ball came right back to Byers, who headed it a second time, this time into the right corner for a goal.

It’s the first goal Awalt has allowed this season.

The second one came with 4:32 to play and was again set up by Speed, one of Paul Speed’s three nephews on the team.

“I jumped up ahead and was hoping for someone to cut across and Ryan Dean did. I headed it over to him and he scored,” Speed explained.

Speed, who was about 30 yards away from the net on the left sideline, floated a nice pass to Dean, who caught Awalt too far over to the left to be able to stop the soft kick Dean rolled into the net’s right corner.

Central senior goalie Tyler Pineo earned his second shutout this season by saving all seven shots he faced.

Central dominated tempo and kept the ball on the Howlers’ side with an aggressive short passing game.

“The midfield and defense really helped a lot by heading the ball at half field and keeping it on their side,” said Byers.