Martinez’s three goals spark Eagles Husson blanks UM-Farmington

BANGOR – Husson College freshman striker Anthony Martinez said the impressive way his teammates were playing in their North Atlantic Conference game against the University of Maine-Farmington inspired him Wednesday.

“It gave me so much energy,” said Martinez, who entered the game with 16:38 remaining in regulation and scored three times in a span of 9:01 to cement a convincing 4-0 victory. “I just wanted to go out and help my team the best I could. I wanted to show that I could produce.”

Hiroshi Iwabuchi had scored the game-winner 13:37 into the second half.

Husson improved to 4-7-1 overall, 3-2-1 in the NAC. UMF fell to 2-3-2 and 1-2-1, respectively.

Martinez, who helped Bangor High School win its first State Class A soccer title last fall, was credited with his first collegiate just 3:16 after he came on.

Mark Trombley slid the ball to Martinez, who was making a run down the right flank.

“Mark gave me a great ball when I called for it. I saw Aaron Woodman coming across and I tried to get it to him but it deflected off one of their players and went in,” said Martinez.

Just 20 seconds later, Trombley made a cross from the right flank with Woodman and Martinez making runs toward the net.

“[Woodman] let it go between his legs, I tried to reach it with my leg and, luckily, it popped up to me. I was falling, my momentum was going forward, but I got my foot on it and aimed it towards the goal and it went in,” said Martinez.

He finished off his hat trick by chesting down a pass, beating a defender and curling a 12-yarder around back-up goalie Matt Dennett inside the near post.

Husson thoroughly dominated play from start to finish, attacking in waves and winning virtually all of the 50-50 balls.

UMF had to play the final 57:52 one man down after Ryan Beam received a red card for a spikes-up tackle.

However, junior goalie Brian Lemont made several superb saves to keep his team in it.

He finished with 13 saves on 31 shots before Dennett spelled him late and allowed one goal on two shots.

Iwabuchi finally broke through with a one-timer from the top of the penalty area after Jeff Truchon laid the ball off to him with a short, diagonal pass.

“It was a good ball [from Truchon] and the corner was open,” said Iwabuchi, whose low shot beat Lemont to the goalie’s right.

“I thought I had that. I was a little bit shielded and he hit it right into the corner. It was a beautiful one-time shot,” said Lemont, who was impressed with the Eagles.

“They’re a great possession team…crossing it, moving it around,” said Lemont, who added that Husson’s swift counter-attacks kept them under constant siege.

“I was trying to catch my breath,” said Lemont.

The Eagles dodged a bullet in the first half when goalie Miguel Dominguez fumbled a shot and was caught out of position.

But Dillon Clark rolled the rebound wide of the vacant net.

Dominguez finished with four saves on 13 shots.