BATH, Maine — It was a story of two very different halves when Morse hosted Belfast in a girls high school Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference soccer contest Tuesday.
The Shipbuilders played a lethargic first half, while the Lions scored twice for a 2-1 halftime lead.
But Morse turned things around in the second half, dominating the final 40 minutes in a 4-2 Class B victory, giving the 5-3-2 Shipbuilders a much-needed win and ending a four-game winless streak.
“We finally arrived,” said Morse coach Steve Boyce. “For whatever reason, we have games like that where we think they’re ready but their heads are back at homecoming. I was impressed that the younger kids came through and the older ones kept things solid. It is a relief.”
Morse owned the second half, outshooting Belfast (1-9) 19-5, and getting three goals from Macie Gagne. The Lions lost freshman goaltender Shera Hilt (six saves) to an injury with 36:43 left in the second half after a collision with Morse’s Aubrey Martin, and though backup Cori Shooter made some solid saves among her seven stops, the tide seemed to turn in favor of the hosts.
“We got away from what we wanted to do,” said Belfast coach Chris Lavalle. “When our ‘keeper got hurt, it changed the focus a bit. We started trying to play long, and what happens is we give up three. Morse seemed like they were on the bus ride to Belfast in the first half, where in the second half they showed up.”
Gagne feels her team worked harder after receiving a talk at halftime from Boyce.
“In the second half we definitely hustled more and went to the ball harder,” she said. “At halftime our coach boosted us up quite a bit, and we played fast. When we play that way, we can be very good.”
The Lions didn’t play like a team with one win in the opening moments of the game as Cassidy Hill sent a perfectly placed shot over the hands of Morse goaltender Marissa Parks (six saves) just 1:53 into the game.
Morse managed to tie the game when Megan Curtis broke in alone on Hilt after receiving a pass from Alika McMurrin. But Belfast had an answer five minutes later when Lydia Violette blasted a hard shot into the twine for a 2-1 halftime lead.
Morse took over right out of the gate in the second frame. Game-long standout Amanda Gagne had an early chance sail just wide, and Hilt stopped Martin on a breakaway that resulted in the goaltender heading off along with Martin, who received a yellow card.
But there was no stopping the Shipbuilders as Macie Gagne tied the game with 27:35 remaining off a corner kick. Emma Rossetti served it near the Belfast goal, with Sierra Wallace touching a pass to the Morse freshman for an easy goal.
With 9:31 remaining, Macie Gagne’s second goal was assisted by Ella Martin, and she made it three straight goals (assisted by Amanda Gagne) with 3:08 left to cap off the Shipbuilders’ comeback.
Morse finished with a 30-13 shot advantage, with Shooter turning aside seven shots after relieving Hilt. The Shipbuilders also held a 9-2 edge in corner kicks.