Zero to zero, boring?
Not this one.
Both the Cape Elizabeth and Freeport boys soccer teams flirted with game-winning goals late in regulation and in a pair of five-minute overtimes Saturday afternoon.
But defense – and a little luck – ruled the day and both teams walked away from Cape’s field without a loss or a win, or a goal for that matter.
It was the second of three ties this season for coach Charlie Carroll’s Cape team, which followed Saturday’s game with another double-overtime tie on Tuesday – a 1-1 deadlock at Falmouth.
“Defensively we’re strong,” said Carroll Saturday. “We feel good about how we’re set up and with the intensity. The offense, as far as moving the ball, needs to be a little better and the guys know it. And we’re working towards it.
“But if you don’t let anybody score, you don’t lose games.”
Still the Capers lost a tough 1-0 home game to Yarmouth last week (Wednesday) and the last time they tallied more than a single goal was earlier last week, in a 4-0 win over Gray-New Gloucester. In that game Jonny Cole scored twice and Marcus Goldbas and Nate Thibeault scored once each.
Saturday each team had a chance to make something happen offensively with free kicks early in the first overtime (neither capitalizing). Freeport then missed a clear chance at a close-in header and a Cape shot deflected directly down off the goal’s crossbar. But nothing went in.
Cape goal keeper Will Russell was sharp as a tack late in the game and stopped a furious attack right on his post and made a diving deflection on a separate play during the extra periods. He also came up big on a close header midway through the second half.
But Freeport goalie Tim Gray was also equal to the task and turned away several Cape opportunities. Russell ended the day with 11 saves, Gray with 10.
Throughout the game, Cape continued to move the ball into good offensive position but forwards Cole, Thibeault, Pat Murphy and Peter Kelly couldn’t punch it in.
Midfielders Kevin Clark, Evan Bagley, Jeremy Falk and Marcus Goldbas kept control of the center field during much of the game and backs Kyle Dancause and Brendan Nicholas helped protect Russell, just a sophomore, throughout the afternoon.
Carroll couldn’t be happier with the way his scrappy Capers are defending.
“We only gave up two goals against Greely and one against Yarmouth, and those are good teams,” the coach said, referring to the 2-2 season-opener with Greely and last week’s narrow loss to Class B’s top-ranked Clippers.
The rest of the season is nothing but tough challenges for Cape Elizabeth. The Capers play Greely again today (Thursday at home at 3:30 p.m.), then travel to play York, a loser only once in its last five games, at 1 p.m. Saturday.
“The rest of the way, it’s really solid teams, worth a lot of points,” Carroll said.
“We’re happy overall,” the coach is quick to note. “The work ethic today (Saturday) was better as we went along. We’re happy with what we did defensively and the offensive stuff will come.”
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