RICHMOND — The Richmond boys soccer team usually likes to keep the ball on the ground. Saturday, the Bobcats went to the air.
The slight shift in strategy worked well. The Bobcats scored on three headers and added a penalty kick on their way to a 4-2 win over Vinalhaven in a Western Maine Class B quarterfinal at Patrick R. Coughlin Field.
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“That is what we’ve been working on in practice all week,” Richmond’s Peter Lorbeski said. “That is what we wanted to capitalize on.”
No. 1 Richmond improves to 12-2-0 and will host No. 2 Greenville in the Western D regional final Wednesday. No. 4 Vinalhaven ends the season 7-5-0.
The Bobcats struck early in the game and set the tone for their offense when Lorbeski made a nice cross from the right wing. Randy Moody ran toward the ball and headed it in 13 minutes, 50 seconds into the game.
Vinalhaven tied it when Alexander Day punched in a rebound from Steven Osgood with six minutes left in the first half, but Richmond used its head again to get the lead back. With about a minute to play in the half, Evan Esancy crashed the net and headed in a ball that Vinalhaven goalie Trey Warren had made an initial save on.
“If they are inside the six, that ball has to come across in the air, otherwise that’s the keeper’s ball, and the kids were doing really good putting the ball up,” Richmond coach Joe Scribelitto said. “And we have kids who are pretty selfless and aren’t afraid to use their head.”
The Bobcats also displayed their crisp passing game and it paid off when Lorbeski slid a pass to his brother Sam Lorbeski, who was on a run to the penalty area. Sam Lorbeski was tripped up inside the box and Richmond was awarded a penalty shot. Peter Lorbeski, who minutes earlier had drilled a shot off the cross bar, was successful on the PK, giving Richmond a 3-1 lead.
Vinalhaven got a penalty kick of its own when Richmond was called for a hand ball inside the box and got within one when Osgood converted with three minutes left in regulation.
Richmond put the game away when Moody scored on his second header of the game with 1:30 left.
“Normally, we try to play the ball low on the ground and shoot high,” Moody said. “Today was the exception.”
The Bobcats got a strong defensive performance from backs Sean Bernier, Kade Strout and Xavier Trask, holding Vinalhaven to just six shots on goal.
Scott Martin — 621-5618
smartin@centralmaine.com
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