HAMPDEN, Maine — Slow starts have dogged the Bangor High School boys soccer team in some of its more pivotal matches this fall.
A quick start and consistent defense proved decisive Tuesday night as the Rams posted their biggest victory of the season to date.
Goals by Carson Atherley and Jacob Berenyi in the first 11 minutes propelled Bangor to a 2-0 victory over rival Hampden Academy in a battle of Class A North powers at the Weatherbee Complex.
“That’s the best game we’ve played so far this year, the full 80 minutes,” said Rams coach Billy Shannon.
Bangor (9-3-1) entered the match ranked fourth, but the victory improved the Rams to 5-0-1 in their last six matches.
“It’s definitely good to be getting on a roll going into the playoffs,” said Bangor junior defender George Payne. “I think we’re coming out and playing with more intensity.”
Second-ranked Hampden (11-1) hadn’t lost since a season-opening 3-2 loss to Messalonskee of Oakland. The Broncos were held scoreless for the first time this season by a defense anchored by Payne, senior goalie Stanley Clarke and also featuring senior Dan Gause and freshmen Josh Sherwood and Jack Bourassa.
Bangor finished with a 16-14 shots advantage, and Clarke made six saves to preserve the Rams’ sixth shutout victory. Kyle Townsend made seven stops for Hampden, which visits top-ranked and defending regional champion Lewiston on Saturday night.
Bangor, which yielded a goal 67 seconds into its Sept. 15 meeting, took early control of the rematch.
The Rams used the speed of the artificial turf to set in motion their first goal, with Clarke grounding a goal kick all the way to midfield where teammate Eli Clein gathered it near the left sideline.
The senior forward dribbled ahead before centering to Atherley just outside the penalty area. Atherley took two short dribbles to his left, then lined a shot from the middle of the field along the ground to the left of the diving Townsend 2:12 into the match.
Hampden answered with its best bid of the half, working the ball to Nick Chasse near the top of the penalty area for a turnaround shot that Clarke dove to save with his left hand.
The Rams made it 2-0 with 29:36 left in the half off a restart from outside the penalty area. Jacob Berenyi popped a carom off Hampden’s defensive wall back over those defenders and across the goal line.
The match leveled off over the final 15 minutes of the half as Bangor was successful in limiting the chances of Hampden’s high-scoring, 6-foot-3-inch senior strikers, Chasse and Nick Gilpin.
Defenses largely ruled the second half, particularly Bangor’s back line, as the Rams matched the Broncos’ physicality when Hampden attempted to press the attack over the final 25 minutes.
“They’re obviously really dangerous up front, and I believe this is the first game they haven’t scored a goal,” said Payne. “We came in hoping to shut them out, and we got it done.”
