As fog wafted across the field, South Portland’s boys soccer team and visiting Bonny Eagle went at each other for 80 minutes Tuesday night. Both squads understood that their post-season hopes might rest on the outcome.
Scots forward Nate Jewell scored a pair of goals within a dozen minutes late in the first half and, though the Red Riots pushed back in the second half, they fell, 2-1.
“I honestly thought a third goal would be needed to put the game away,” said Bonny Eagle coach Jeffrey Neal. “It was a battle to the end and the kids showed a lot of stamina and composure and stuck it out.”
The Scots raised their record to 6-4-2 and, in the latest Heal point standings, are hanging onto the 11th and final playoff spot with three games remaining.
Meanwhile, South Portland drops to 5-6-0. With a pair of tough road contests among their last three games – at Portland (7-2-1) Oct. 6 and at Scarborough (8-1-0) Oct.11 – the Riots path to the post-season looks daunting. However, upsetting one of those teams would mean quite a few points.
“(They) should be two good games,” said South Portland’s Andrew Ochsner. “As long as we come out and play like we have been, then we have a good chance.”
The action started early Tuesday when Jewell broke down the right sideline minutes into the game, taking the ball deep and then drilling it on course for the far corner. Riots keeper Jason Battle dove to his right and nabbed the kick.
A short while later a lead pass deflected off the chest of South Portland striker Nick Johnson, giving him a breakaway, but Bonny Eagle keeper Alex Pinette was there to make the stop.
The fast pace continued and the Scots had another scoring chance when forward Randy Ruginski let one go from 15 yards out. Battle got a hand on the ball, and that proved just enough, as it caromed off the crossbar.
With 13:19 to go in the half, the visitors took advantage of the next opportunity. Bonny Eagle’s Tim Grovo put the ball in front of the net on a free kick, and Jewell appeared to get a piece of it as the ball rolled in. With just under two minutes to go, he struck again.
“On the second goal I kept hustling toward the net,” said the junior. “(Battle) tried to clear it. He missed it, and I followed through with the left foot.”
The physical play continued in the second half, with bumping and pushing between the teams, and the back-and-forth play continued as well.
With 19 minutes left in the game, Riots midfielder Osman Suja took a rebound and shot it past Pinette to cut the margin to one. Suja and his teammates tried desperately to find the net again, but their opponents held on.
“They packed a lot of guys in the defensive end and it frustrated our attack,” said South Portland coach Mark O’Connor. “We tried hard, but just couldn’t get it done.”
“We got a couple goals quickly and just held onto it at the end, even though South Portland pressed really hard,” said Pinette. “It was a big game for us. We needed this win.”
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