OAKLAND – The Bangor High School boys soccer team is determined not to dwell on successes of the past, such as last year when the Rams won their first Class A state championship.
They’re merely seeking to repeat them.
Bangor, top-ranked in the most recent Eastern Maine Class A Heal point ratings, remained unbeaten this season and stretched its overall undefeated streak to 22 matches Saturday with a 3-0 road victory at third-ranked Messalonskee.
Johnny Warren and Nick George each had a goal and an assist for the Rams, who are 8-0 this year and 21-0-1 since their last loss, a 1-0 defeat at Hampden Academy on Sept. 12, 2006.
Bangor also has 14 consecutive victories since a scoreless tie at Mt. Blue of Farmington last Oct. 4.
But while all those numbers – and the fact Bangor has outscored its opposition 37-2 this fall – are impressive evidence of the team’s present and recent pass, the Rams are more concerned about building for the immediate future.
“Whether you win a championship or not, you always apply what you’ve already learned,” said Bangor coach Adam Leach. “Last year was last year, this is this year. When we see things that go well, we try to say we want to repeat that. We want to focus on skills, not in terms of how many wins or how many goals, but making sure that we can play efficiently and consistently.”
Messalonskee provided Bangor one of its stronger tests of the season, but the Rams’ stellar defense of sweeper Nate Frazier, wing fullbacks Christian and Ryan Larochelle and stopper Kyle Savage limited the Eagles to just four shots on goal – only two that weren’t the result of direct kicks.
Senior goalie Erik Milles required just four saves to earn his sixth shutout of the season for the Rams, while Messalonskee’s Sergio Servello made five saves on eight Bangor shots.
Bangor needed just 5 minutes, 42 seconds of the first half to take a 1-0 lead, with senior Devin Lincoln scoring his seventh goal of the season.
The play began with a throw-in from fairly deep along the right wing by Christian Larochelle, who found a cutting Warren near the end line to the right of the goal. Warren quicky crossed the ball to Lincoln, whose quick shot beat Servello just inside the left post.
“We have our own little set-up for a short throw to the corner, so we worked that out and with my speed I got the ball,” said Warren. “We try to get the low cross on the ground to somebody up top and when somebody’s there it usually works out perfect and that’s what I saw.
“I looked up before I gave it to [Lincoln] on the ground, and he was right there to finish.”
Messalonskee did not manage a shot on goal until David Rossignol got off an attempt with eight minutes left in the first half, but the 6-2 Eagles fared better in the midfield area for much of the second half.
“We made some errors that we got away with,” said Leach. “We turned the ball over in the midfield in some dangerous spots with too many guys ahead of the ball, and luckily that didn’t burn us. But we have to take care of that or else that will get us in the future.”
Bangor extended its lead with 20:30 left in the match as George scored his team-high eighth goal of the season with a one-on-one move.
The sophomore forward gained control of a long clearing pass from Frazier that caromed away from a Messalonskee defender near the edge of the penalty area. George then dribbled to his left to get open and fired a shot back against the grain that beat Servello inside the right post.
“Nate cleared it and I was just in the right position,” said George. “I missed it at first, but the defender stumbled with it so it was behind him and I took it. He was flat-footed so I just touched it to one side and shot.”
Bangor padded its lead with 1:43 left thanks to some stellar teamwork between George and Warren.
Working on the right side of the field, George took a lead pass from Cody Cormier and quickly one-timed a pass farther along the wing to Warren, who tucked an 15-yard shot inside the far post.
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