Broncos blank Bangor Hampden advances to semifinal round

HAMPDEN – The third meeting of the season between schoolgirl soccer rivals Hampden Academy and Bangor had many of the same characteristics as its predecessors – particularly skilled play and high intensity.

One difference? This time Hampden never trailed en route to a 2-0 victory over the Rams in an Eastern Maine Class A quarterfinal at the Weatherbee School Complex on Saturday evening.

Bangor had led in both of the regular-season meetings before Hampden rallied for a 2-1 home-field win on Sept. 6 and a 3-2 victory at Bangor on Oct. 11.

This time the Broncos used a strong defense sparked by Mikkala Libbey and goalie Michelle Wells to stymie Bangor, while Michaela Stevenson and Lindsay Martin provided the offense with second-half goals.

“It’s really hard to beat a team three times, but I think we just came out with so much focus and so much intensity,” said Libbey. “It was like we’ve never played this team before, we were just going to give it everything.

“I really think everyone left everything on the field, and no one can look back at us and say ‘I wish I would have done that.’ I think everyone gave it their all.”

The fourth-seeded Broncos (11-3-1) will play at top-ranked Waterville (14-0-1) in Wednesday’s semifinals. Waterville used two goals from freshman Jordan Pellerin after intermission to pull away from No. 9 Lawrence of Fairfield 3-0 in its quarterfinal Saturday.

Waterville defeated Hampden 4-0 earlier in the season. Fifth-rated Bangor ended its season with a 10-5 record.

Libbey was tasked with marking Bangor standout Amy Hackett throughout the match, and while Hackett was able to create some scoring opportunities for the Rams, for the most part the Broncos were able to keep Bangor’s offensive forays on the perimeter and away from the goal crease.

“They were kicking a lot of long balls today so I was more picking those off,” said Wells, who stopped all 12 Bangor shots on goal she faced. “Usually they try to play to feet and pass it to people and bring it up, and I know Amy Hackett usually does a lot right in front of the goal and up by the top of the 18.

“But I noticed in this game she was distributing a lot more in the middle of the field and she wasn’t really up front as much as she was before when they played us.”

Bangor had a modest edge in play during the first half, but a moment of sustained pressure seven minutes after intermission earned Hampden its first goal.

Martin nearly scored earlier with a shot from close range, but Bangor goalie Kortnie Hudgens (seven saves) got her left arm on the ball and redirected it off the inside corner of the goal post. The ball caromed across the crease, but a follow-up shot by the Broncos went wide to the short side.

Moments later, Bangor was called for a foul in its defensive end, and Stevenson made the Rams pay. The freshman rocketed a 30-yard direct kick from the left wing over both Bangor’s defensive wall and Hudgens’ outstretched arms, tucking the ball well inside the far post.

“I usually take the kicks on that side because my kick naturally goes that way,” said Stevenson, a freshman. “So when we’re on that side our plan is for me is to bend it around the wall and that’s what I just tried to do.”

Martin provided Hampden an insurance goal with 11:40 to play, racing in along the right wing and winning the race to a lead pass from Katie Chambers before grounding the ball past Hudgens.

“[Bangor] played five defenders in the second half and we dropped to one forward and they still had their hands full because [Lindsay’s] so fast,” said Hampden coach Dewey Martin. “She plays clean, but she’s so quick, and she’s really hard to defend.”