ORONO, Maine — There’s plenty to work on less than two weeks into the schoolboy soccer season, but the Old Town Coyotes are riding a three-match winning streak after Tuesday afternoon’s 2-1 victory over Orono.
Senior co-captain C.J. Moody and sophomore Niko Knapp scored goals during a 3-minute, 28-second span early in the second half to provide coach Mark Graffam’s club all the offense it needed, and goalies Zac Libby and Austin Sheehan combined for 13 saves as Class B Old Town improved its record to 3-1 while sending Class C Orono to its first defeat after a 3-0 start.
“We had a good talk at half because we were pretty flat in the first half,” Moody said. “We definitely came out stronger in the second half. I feel like we played the ball better and made better passes. It was just a lot better.”
Orono did generate more serious scoring bids during the first 40 minutes to play as the dangerous combination of seniors Kam Stockley and Frederik Linden sparked the Red Riots to a 9-6 first-half shots advantage.
Old Town may have had the best early bid, though, as Drew Coulombe beat Orono goalie Alik Espling to a loose ball near the 18-yard line and got past him, only to be denied via a sliding tackle by Red Riots’ freshman Joseph Astumian.
Old Town appeared more energized to start the second half, and was rewarded 6:28 into the period when Coulombe lofted the ball ahead to Moody, who tipped it past Espling before scoring into the open net.
“(Coulombe) gave me a nice chip ball over the defender and I kicked it by the goalie and the goalie deflected it but just before it went out I kicked it in,” Moody said.
A similar chip, this time by Chad Bartlett, set up Knapp’s goal with 30:05 left in the second half. Knapp, stationed 10 yards out from the right goal post, headed the pass toward the net and it deflected off an Orono player into the goal for what turned out to be a valuable insurance goal.
Orono soon grew more aggressive on offense and nearly scored moments later, only to have Old Town defender Nick Sinclair clear away a ball bound for the back of the net.
Coach Waldo Caballero’s Red Riots broke through with 11:50 remaining when Stockley gained possession outside the 18-yard line, jumped between two defenders while pushing the ball ahead and then tipped it past Libby and into the net an instant before the two collided.
Libby was injured on the play and left the game, but sophomore Austin Sheehan came on to make four saves and preserve the lead.
Orono finished with a 20-16 edge in shots, with Libby adding nine saves for Old Town while Espling had eight stops for the Red Riots.
Old Town is now idle until facing Caribou, John Bapst of Bangor and Presque Isle within a five-day span beginning next Tuesday.
“We’re still trying to find our offense,” Graffam said. “I’m not totally happy with the way some of the offensive movement is going but we’ve got three big games next week and hopefully we’ll have some time this week to work on some things and get ready.”
