BANGOR, Maine — In the playoffs, the most important goal often is the first one.
On Tuesday night, Bangor connected first to seize the emotional edge.
Freshman striker Libby Spekhardt wheeled on a pass from midfielder Megan Conner and fired a low shot into the left side of the goal with 24:33 remaining, sparking the Rams to a 2-0 Class A North quarterfinal girls soccer victory over Edward Little of Auburn.
“When I saw the ball, I just took the shot,” said Spekhardt, who assisted on the second goal. “I didn’t really know where it was going to go, so I just took my chance.”
Coach Joe Johnson’s No. 2 Bangor team (12-1-2) plays conference rival Hampden Academy (7-5-3) in a semifinal game that likely will be played on Friday.
The Rams made a more concerted effort in the second half to aggressively pursue 50-50 balls. The result was more possession, which helped fuel some sustained offensive pressure.
“I thought we competed a lot more for the ball, especially the punts and the kicks and the stuff in the middle of the field,” Johnson said.
“They were fast enough to step in our way a lot. They certainly got on our backs and didn’t let us receive balls very well.”
The No. 7 Red Eddies (7-6-3) gave the Rams everything they could handle. However, they were not able to convert on their handful of quality scoring chances.
“We played pretty well, I was proud of them,” said EL coach Craig Latuscha. “We played with a lot of heart and passion tonight.”
Goalkeeper Francesca-Beth Haines (10 saves) was outstanding in the first half, making two lunging saves that preserved the 0-0 halftime tie.
The Red Eddies answered a couple of well-placed long shots by Bangor’s Maeve Harrigan early in the second half with a strong five-minute segment during which they attacked but could not connect.
Emily Jacques had two shots on goal during that stretch, but Bangor ’keeper Emily Gilmore made the saves. Harrigan also had some key clears.
Conner’s poised play set up the first goal. She moved up the middle and pushed the ball into the penalty area where Spekhardt controlled it and scored.
“I was looking for a shot, but I kind of fell,” admitted Conner, who said the goal was critical.
“I think once we got the goal, we just kept going with the momentum there,” she added.
Gilmore (8 saves) kept Bangor in front with 15 minutes left when Piper Norcross spun and lofted a shot toward the upper left-hand corner. Gilmore leapt and poked it over the crossbar.
The Rams got an insurance goal with 5:21 to play when Spekhardt’s shot from 10 yards out was knocked down by Haines, but Bangor junior Katie Butler alertly pounced on the rebound and deposited it into the net.
Lucy Clein and Maddi Cormier were other standouts for Bangor, while EL received strong efforts from Lauren Berube, Kaylee Jipson and Olivia Jensen.