ORONO, Maine — The top-seeded Orono High School Red Riots got more than they bargained for from the eighth-seeded Searsport Vikings in their Eastern Maine Class C schoolgirl soccer semifinal Tuesday afternoon.
But Alex Crocker’s penalty kick with 2:23 in the first half broke a 1-1 tie and sisters Caleigh and Chloe Paul scored within the first 7:34 of the second half as the Riots pulled away for a 5-1 victory.
Crocker and Chloe Paul scored two goals each as the Riots improved to 12-2-1 and will host No. 5 George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill, 9-5-1, in Friday’s 3 p.m. semifinal.
Searsport concluded its season at 9-7, including three losses to Orono.
The Riots didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard. Chloe Paul’s diagonal pass sent Crocker in down the right flank and she calmly slotted a low shot inside the far post from 16 yards out just 1:42 into the game.
But the Vikings stunned Orono by answering only 1:18 later when Sara Bradshaw’s corner kick created a pinball flurry in the Riot penalty area and Olivia Quigley poked the ball home from six yards out.
Orono had a significant edge in possession and manufactured several scoring chances but the Vikings did an efficient job clogging up the middle of the field and limiting Orono’s high-percentage shots.
When the Riots did create a quality shot, senior goalie Megan Higgins was stellar.
Defender Brooke Lindelof bailed Higgins out on one occasion as she cleared a rebound off the goal line.
But a hand ball in the penalty area gave Crocker her opportunity to break the tie and her rising shot on a penalty kick squeezed through the hands of Higgins.
“I thought I had it,” said Higgins.
“I put too much power on it and it went up [instead of to a corner],” said Crocker.
Caleigh Paul scored with a header off an Analies Dyjak corner kick just 2:59 into the second half.
“I boosted myself up on Alex [Crocker],” said Caleigh Paul, who was among a posse of players who collided while elevating for the ball.
“That goal took the pressure off us,” said Crocker.
Chloe Paul scored 4:35 later when Rachel Balaban’s long curling shot took a hop and spilled out of Higgins’ hands over to her.
“I just had to tap it in,” said Paul.
Chloe Paul added an insurance goal with 19:07 left when Meghan Curtis’ cross was directed across the goal to her by Taylor Chasse and she swept it home.
“We played pretty well. We improved throughout the game,” said Chloe Paul. “Searsport was a lot better than they were earlier.”
“Their goalie is very good. She made some brilliant saves,” said Crocker.
Searsport also received good performances from Quigley, Kali Berenyi and Lindelof.
Higgins finished with 12 saves on 49 shots and was impressed with the Riots.
“They are so good. I give them all the credit,” said Higgins.
Orono’s Elizabeth Fox faced 12 shots and made four saves, including three gems.