BANGOR, Maine — Prior to Tuesday’s Class A North quarterfinal against Mt. Ararat High School of Topsham, Bangor High School girls soccer coach Joe Johnson said his Rams were the healthiest they had been in years.
And it showed.
Seniors Libby Spekhardt and Bella Varisco, who had both missed time due to injuries earlier this season, scored two goals apiece and the Rams posted an impressive 5-1 victory over the Eagles at Boucher Field on the Husson University campus.
Julia Smallwood scored the other goal for the fourth-seeded Rams, which improved to 10-4-1 with their fifth straight win.
Reese Turcotte scored for fifth-seeded Mt. Ararat, which finished up at 8-6-1 and had its five-game unbeaten streak snapped (4-0-1).
Bangor plays the winner of Wednesday’s quarterfinal between No. 8 Hampden Academy (5-8-1) and top seed and defending two-time state champion Camden Hills (14-0) in Saturday’s semifinals.
Bangor attempted 29 shots to Mt. Ararat’s 11.
Spekhardt scored the only goal in the first half with 8:15 remaining and Varisco converted from the penalty spot just 23 seconds into the second half to expand the lead.
Spekhardt made it 3-0 just 6:33 into the second half, and Varisco scored with a perfectly placed free kick with 23:44 remaining.
Turcotte ruined the shutout bid with 15:08 remaining before Smallwood capped the scoring.
“I thought we played pretty well,” Johnson said. “We’re finally starting to score. This game was all about finishing and we finished. It’s nice to be healthy.”
“Most of our players are back, and we worked real well together. We were connecting,” said attacking midfielder Spekhardt, whose first goal came off a scramble following a Maddie Ahola corner kick.
Ahola’s corner kick bounded around in the penalty area after Varisco and Rowan Andrews had shots blocked by defenders. Spekhardt flicked the ball into the top corner to the right of goalie Abby Sirois.
“It just went into the right place at the right time,” Spekhardt said.
A two-handed push in the back in the opening minute of the second half resulted in a penalty kick being awarded, and Varisco calmly tucked her penalty kick to Sirois’ left.
“It is about the routine and knowing where you want to go with it,” Varisco said.
“That changed the momentum,” said Mt. Ararat coach Chad Kirk, who didn’t agree with the call but didn’t argue.
Spekhardt’s second goal was set up by Ahola, who outmuscled a defender and took the ball deep down the right side. She sent a pacey thigh-high cross to the near post where Spekhardt extended her right leg and redirected the ball into the near corner.
“I was trying to redirect to the other side but it went in [the short side]. Maddie and I work real well together,” Spekhardt said.
Varisco’s free kick was near the middle of the field, and she sailed it into the far corner past to Sirois’ left.
“I knew I could shoot from there. I just wanted to give it a go,” said Varisco, who said Bangor moved the ball well and exhibited good chemistry.
Bangor had removed its starters when Mt. Ararat scored a nice goal. Sophomore Ema Hawkes made a run down the right side and slid a precise pass along the ground to the far side enabling Turcotte to tap it into the empty net.
Smallwood finished things off when Alyssa Elliott whipped in an inswinging corner kick that was cleared off the line. Smallwood swooped on the loose ball and deposited it into the net from 10 yards out.
Alexis LeBreton finished with three saves for Bangor before being replaced by Libby Fleming.
Sirois wound up with seven saves and allowed four goals before Elsa Daulerio replaced her late in the game and surrendered the final goal.
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