SOUTH PORTLAND — As the season winds down, the Thornton Academy girls soccer team coach wants his team to be playing its “best” soccer before the playoffs begin.
Consider that desire met.
The Golden Trojans exploded for four first-half goals against South Portland Wednesday night en route to a 4-0 victory.
Although the Trojans didn’t score a goal in the second half, Thornton coach Chris Kohl said he liked the tempo and possession-style of play the team executed in the final 40 minutes of the game.
“I think we just played with good, strong teamwork,” Kohl said. “Our offense played well in the first half and in the second half, we didn’t want to make a mistake on which South Portland could capitalize and gain momentum. We worked on possession and I think we did that pretty well.”
It didn’t take Thornton Academy long in the first half to score and set the tone of the game.
With nine minutes gone in the half, sophomore forward Amanda Arnold finished off a bang-bang play from Jaime Durie and Tori Cooper that started off of a free kick.
Durie headed the ball to Arnold, who blasted it into the net for a 1-0 score.
Thornton struck again 12 minutes later, this time with Durie getting into the act.
Camilla Olsson and Meg Hurrell set up Durie with two quick passes that allowed Durie to control the ball behind the South Portland defense. Durie found herself alone with the goal keeper and glanced a shot off the outside of her right foot just out of reach of South Portland goalie Domonique Smith for a 2-0 lead.
“It’s kind of nerve racking to go one-on-one with the goalie,” Durie said. “I just kind of looked for the gap and tried to use my speed to beat the defense.”
Durie scored again less than six minutes later when she blasted in a shot that deflected off a South Portland defender for a 3-0 lead.
Arnold capped Thornton Academy’s scoring when she converted a Durie pass and punched it into the lower left corner of the goal for a 4-0 lead with 5:47 left to play in the first half.
In total, Durie finished the game with two goals and two assists while Arnold scored two goals.
“I think we’re improving every game,” Arnold said. “I think we’re working better as a team.”
Thornton hasn’t lost since the third game of the season when it fell to Marshwood 1-0. It is now 10-1-1 with two games remaining against Sanford (8-3-1) on Friday.
Since tying Scarborough 1-1 on Sept. 24, Thornton Academy has won four straight with shutouts against Biddeford and South Portland. It also beat one of the top teams in the SMAA, Cheverus, 3-1.
Against South Portland, Thornton goalie Emily Richard made nine saves.
“I think the kids are looking for each other,” Kohl said. “They played really well tonight.”
— Contact Al Edwards at 282-1535, Ext. 323.
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