FALMOUTH — With balls delivered with precision to the wings, the Falmouth High boys’ soccer team attacked and attacked Tuesday night.
The Yachtsmen finally wore down Thornton Academy, scoring in each half to beat the Trojans 2-0 in a Class A South quarterfinal.
Second-seeded Falmouth (12-2-1) advanced to the semifinals, and will host No. 6 Portland (11-3-2), a 1-0 upset winner of third-seeded Deering.
No. 7 Thornton finished 9-5-2.
Falmouth got a first-half goal from Devin Russell – on Hayden Farr’s corner kick – and a second-half tally from Farr on a long-range kick.
The Yachtsmen outshot the Trojans 19-2, 12-1 in the first half. Falmouth had 12 corner kicks; Thornton had one.
“They’re a good side and they came out and dominated in the first half,” Trojans Coach Andrew Carlson said. “They’re big. They’re strong. They’re well organized. They’re everything we’re not.
“Our guys were game. They showed up to play. They dug in there and competed.”
Thornton did hold on for over 30 minutes, keeping the game scoreless. Falmouth sent in ball after ball, and the Trojans’ defensive quartet of Brandon Lebel, Noah Goren, Daniel Roch and Noah Edborg cleared them out.
“That’s soccer,” Falmouth Coach Dave Halligan said. “You can never let up for a second.”
The Yachtsmen did not let up, keeping the pressure on. Falmouth dished off to the wings and continued to center balls. Andrew Muscadin, Matthew Polewaczyk, Michael Sanzari and Nate Arrants created chances.
Many of those chances began from the foot of midfielder John Mullin.
“John played huge tonight,” Halligan said. “He was the best player on the field, offensive and defensive. When a play had to be made, he seemed to be there.”
Mullin’s approach is simple: “Just keep working until we get a goal.”
The Yachtsmen got their first with 9:18 left in the half. Farr delivered Falmouth’s 10 corner kicks, sending another into the crowd in front of the net.
“We just ran the same play,” Farr said. “I knew we had the guys who could put it away.”
A couple of players went for a header, but the ball reached the ground and Russell was there for the point-blank score.
“Ten corner kicks. Sooner or later you’re going to have a breakdown,” Carlson said.
The Trojans had been hanging back on defense, trying to get a ball up field for a forward.
“We were just trying to survive,” Carlson said. “Get a counterattack, maybe a dead-ball situation.
“We came out in the second half with a different tone. We strung together a few more passes; a little better combination, instead of single attackers. Then they get that long shot.”
With 24:38 left in the game, Farr looked like he might be passing, but saw his chance.
“I looked up and saw the goalie out of place and I took it,” said Farr, who launched a score into the upper left corner for a 2-0 lead.
Thornton opened up its attack more, led by midfielder Noah Niles, but Falmouth held on.
“We had some opportunities late but it was pretty frantic,” Carlson said.
This is Falmouth’s second straight trip to the semifinals. The Yachtsmen lost to Scarborough in last year’s semis.
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