Brewer boys’ soccer dispatches Bangor in regular season finale
Bangor and Brewer played an action-packed regular season finale on Tuesday, with the Witches outlasting a second-half Ram comeback to win it 4-3 at home.
Having been mathematically eliminated from Class A North playoff contention last week, the 3-9-1 Rams were playing for pride, while the Witches were still on the bubble at 4-7-2 and needed a win to cement their spot in the playoffs.
Brewer demonstrated this urgency by getting on the board in only the second minute, with junior midfielder Andrew Clark quickly smacking in a cross in front of goal to make it 1-0.
“It just happened,” Clark said. “It always feels good to score on our rivals.”
Nine minutes later, Bangor’s Zach Shaw returned the favor by scoring his first of two goals. Chasing after a through pass up the middle, the junior beat Brewer’s sweeper to the ball, cut back, and unleashed a beautiful curling shot with his left foot from roughly 20 yards out.
It was one of many goals scored on Tuesday off of upfield passes in transition.
Bangor goalscorers Jack Earl (left) and Zach Shaw (second from right) pictured along with defenders Cooper Thibodeau (second from left) and Lucas Smith (right). Credit: Sam Canfield / BDN
Brewer responded with two such goals in the 23rd and 30th minutes, from junior forward Cade McKenney and senior forward Braden Carr.
“As long as we can move the ball from one side to the other, then we can go far these playoffs,” Carr said.
Racing with an upfield pass, Carr dribbled the ball all the way toward the endline, quickly made his move, and at close to full speed managed to poke the ball past the Bangor keeper on a really tough angle.
With four goals total scored in the first half, it seemed like there was no way the second half could be nearly as exciting — until it was.
At around the 50th minute, the first of many more unique plays happened, when Brewer earned an indirect free kick inside Bangor’s penalty box because goalkeeper Graeme O’Neal mishandled a pass.
A miscommunication between seniors Josh Schnieder and Braden Carr on the set piece caused Brewer to lose control of the ball, which Bangor was happy to kick out of bounds. But on the ensuing corner, Brewer junior defender Ryan Edgecomb flew into the box and buried a bouncing ball with a flying kick.
It was Edgecomb’s first ever varsity goal, and he celebrated by leaping into the air and yelling triumphantly.
“We had this joke going that I’m a center defensive striker,” Edgecomb said. “Whenever you score against Bangor it feels great.”
Brewer senior midfielder Josh Schneider congratulates junior midfielder Cade McKenney on his first half goal to retake a 2-1 lead. Credit: Sam Canfield / BDN
But less than 90 seconds later, Zach Shaw was back at it, cutting Brewer’s lead to 4-2 and shifting the momentum back to Bangor.
The Rams continued to knock on the door for the next half hour, forcing Brewer senior defender Cayen Philbrick to head away a shot right at the Witches’ goal line, and later making it 4-3 in the 78th minute on a goal from senior midfielder Jack Earl.
Brewer senior goalkeeper Grady Vanedistine dangerously pounded away a blocked shot toward the middle, right where Earl was waiting for a rebound. Like Edgecomb, it was Earl’s first ever varsity goal.
“Down 3-1 at half, that was a little discouraging,” Earl said. “I’m glad we got it together in the second half and made it a close game.”
The final two minutes of play were a frenzy of action, culminating in a Bangor set piece from midfield. The Rams even brought goalkeeper Graeme O’Neal out of net, and in a last-ditch effort to score, lofted a ball into the Brewer penalty box with 24 seconds left.
Unfortunately for Bangor, the Witches were able to kick the ball out of bounds a couple times, and celebrated as the 80th minute finally ended.
“It was so fun to be out there the last few minutes,” Bangor senior defender Cooper Thibodeau said. “I’m glad my last game as a senior was against Brewer.”
Bangor and Brewer previously drew 1-1 on Sept. 12, with goals scored by Carr and Bangor winger Jasper Sparks. Last year, Brewer also beat Bangor once, and drew Bangor once.
With Tuesday’s win, Brewer will play reigning champs 8-4-1 Brunswick in the first round of the Class A North playoffs. The Witches are the No. 6 seed, and the Dragons are the No. 3 seed, behind No. 1 Lewiston and No. 2 Camden Hills.
Brewer previously drew Brunswick 2-2 away this season.
“Brewer can be a dark horse in the playoffs, I think,” Earl said. “They have a lot of good goalscorers up top, and their keeper’s a great player.”