BANGOR, Maine — Bangor High School girls soccer coach Joe Johnson talked to his undefeated Rams about getting off to a good start in Tuesday night’s game against rival Hampden Academy.
“The next thing I know, it’s 4-0,” said Johnson, whose defending state Class A champion Rams scored just 1:56 into the game and built a 4-0 lead in the first half en route to a 4-1 triumph.
Junior Luci Clein notched her first high school hat trick with three goals, and striker partner Libby Spekhardt, a sophomore, added the other as Bangor improved to their record to 4-0.
Junior Christie Woodside scored for the 2-2 Broncos late in the first half.
“I don’t think we possessed the ball as well as we did in the first three games but we played pretty well,” said Johnson. “The effort was there, the energy was there.”
The speedy and tenacious tandem of Clein and Spekhardt posed problems for the Bronco defense as the Rams continually sent long balls up the field for the duo to track down and create scoring chances.
“They’re pretty fast. You’ve got to keep up with them,” said Bronco standout senior midfielder Melissa Reichel.
“Bangor has a nice combination of finesse play that ultimately takes advantage of that speed that they possess up top,” said first-year Hampden Academy coach Paul Wellman. “You play to your strengths and they do that well.”
Clein opened the scoring by collecting an errant Bronco clearance on the left side of the penalty area and ripping a hard shot along the ground that broke through the hands of goalie Emily Dysart.
“I was trying to score but I wasn’t sure where it was at the time,” said Clein.
Clein extended the lead 22 minutes later thanks to some good fortune.
Spekhardt gave her a pass down the right side of the area and she launched a shot that hit a defender and sailed into the far corner over Dysart.
“It went off a defender’s back and went over the goalie’s head,” said Clein.
Spekhardt made it 3-0 just 2:24 later.
Megan Conner’s corner bounced around until Spekhardt received the ball at the top of the penalty area with her back to the goal.
She pushed the ball to her left and threaded a rising shot that nestled in the far corner of the net.
“I knew there was someone behind my back so I had to get the ball around. After that I just went with [a shot],” said Spekhardt.
Clein capped her hat trick courtesy of a Katie Butler through ball as she was able to slide the ball past the onrushing Dysart.
Clein called her first hat trick “pretty cool.”
Woodside closed out the half by converting an Aubra Linn pass by tucking a 10-yarder into the far corner.
Bangor had a 16-3 edge in shots at goal in the first half and finished with a 24-6 advantage for the game.
Bangor, featuring backs Grace Morris and Lauren Young along with midfielders Megan Conner and Eliza Jansujwicz, did a thorough job limiting Hampden’s attacks in the second half as the Rams swarmed the ball and left the Broncos with little time and space to generate a scoring opportunity.
The Broncos, led by Reichel and Helen and Emma Shearer, did a better job keeping the Rams at bay in the second half.
Maddie Hodgdon finished with two saves on five shots before Page Cadorette came on for the final 18 minutes. She faced one shot but wasn’t required to make a save.
Dysart wound up with seven saves on 24 shots.
JV: Bangor 2-0