LEWISTON — The third time was a charm for Mt. Abram.
After losing the past two years in the Class C South boys’ soccer regional final, the Roadrunners took down Traip Academy 5-1 Wednesday night at Lewiston High’s Don Roux Field.
The top-seeded Roadrunners (17-0) move on to the Class C state championship game on Saturday against George Stevens at Mt. Ararat High in Topsham.
Four players scored for Mt. Abram.
Andrew Rother’s 18-yard boot in the opening minutes gave the Roadrunners a quick 1-0 lead.
Mt. Abram used a corner kick to generate its second tally. The ball was sent into the 18-yard box and deflected into the goal off a Traip player.
Sam Cockerham, who had an opportunity earlier in the first half, stretched the Roadrunners’ advantage to 3-0 when he chipped the ball over Traip keeper Jack Downs after a long Killian Pillsbury pass in the 26th minute.
Second-seeded Traip (12-4-1) struggled to get the ball across midfield throughout the opening half. When they did, Mt. Abram quickly flipped the field back in its favor. The Rangers’ best chance came in the 36th minute when midfielder Makill Matty chipped the ball over Mt. Abram goalie Logan Dube, but it sailed high.
Mt. Abram’s Morgan Thibodeau used his speed to get into the box and kicked a low line drive past Downs (six saves) two minutes into the second half.
Traip had two free kicks shortly after Thibodeau’s tally. The first one went wide, and Ivan Blanco’s attempt went right to Roadrunners goalie Logan Dube.
Dube stopped another Blanco free kick with a diving save. On the ensuing corner kick, Dube made another stop.
Mt. Abram allowed its first goal since Sept. 25 when Traip senior forward Quinn Alessi scored in the 16th minute of the second half, cutting the deficit to 4-1.
Brennan Mitchell restored the four-goal lead seven minutes later when he settled the ball down in the 6-yard box and tapped it past the goal line.
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