GARDINER — The Gardiner Area High School boys lacrosse team expected a tight, physical game in its season opener Friday afternoon against rival Maranacook/Winthrop.
The Tigers certainly got one.
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Gardiner also expected to score some goals.
They did that, too.
Justin Lovely and Austin Moore each scored two goals to lead Gardiner past Maranacook/Winthrop 7-3 at Hoch Field.
“We came out confident,” said Lovely, who also had an assist. “We came out and took the shots we wanted to take. We moved the ball well and got the shots we were looking for.”
Added Moore: “It wasn’t pretty but we got the job done. It was a step in the right direction. We’ll take it.”
The opener was a rematch of an Eastern B quarterfinal last season, which Gardiner won 7-6.
Keegan Smith, Walter Bailey and Josh Caldwell also scored for Gardiner, which led 4-1 heading into the fourth quarter before Maranacook/Winthrop rallied.
Senior goalie Cody Hickey had 16 saves for the Tigers, including several from point-blank range.
“We were a little sloppy,” Gardiner coach K.C. Johnson said. “Everyone wanted a shooting gallery. Cody Hickey kept us in the game. Last year’s team was more settled on offense, and we’re not there yet. But it is just the first game. We’re a work in progress. We just want to be peaking at the right time.”
Gabe Giguere, Tyler Bryant and Nolan Howe scored for Maranacook/Winthrop, which pulled within 5-3 with 7 minutes, 41 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Zach Bessette played a strong game in goal for Maranacook/Winthrop, stopping 22 shots.
“We struggled in the first half,” Maranacook/Winthrop coach Jared Knowlton said. “I think it was the first-game jitters. We were missing three players due to vacation so we had some younger players in there. We just told them at the half that the second half was going to be our half.”
It nearly was.
Gardiner led 4-1 at the break. The game stayed that way until Moore scored on a pass from Smith just 1:22 into the fourth quarter to make it 5-1.
Maranacook/Winthrop responded with two goals just 21 seconds apart about two minutes later to make things interesting.
“We settled down,” Giguere said. “In the first half we were working on different things and trying to settle our lines. But we settled down in the second.”
However, Maranacook/Winthrop wouldn’t get any closer. Caldwell and Lovely scored in the final six minutes to help put the game out of reach.
“We knew it was going to be a physical game,” Moore said. “They gave it to us, but we gave it back.
Added Johnson, whose team reached the regional finals last season: “We got rattled a bit, but we handled it. We got things taken care of out there.”
Bill Stewart — 621-5640
bstewart@centralmaine.com
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