WINSLOW — Gabe Smith scored two goals to lift Winslow to a 2-0 win over Oceanside in an Eastern Maine Class B boys soccer quarterfinal game Wednesday at Kennebec Savings Bank Field.
Smith holds the Winslow single-season scoring record with 30 goals and is fast approaching the career mark. Smith has 61 career goals, four shy of the record 65 set by Colin Hay in 2005.
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“It was a frustrating afternoon,” Smith said. “They had a big height advantage on us and we had to work the ball on the ground. I think we turned up the intensity in the second half and played much better.”
No. 3 Winslow (11-1-3) advances to play No. 2 Camden Hills in the semifinals Saturday at Don Palmer Field in Camden. No. 11 Oceanside ends the season at 7-8-1. Winslow and Camden Hills played to a 0-0 tie in Camden in the regular season.
Oceanside came out strong, playing with a purpose trying to avenge a 5-1 regular season loss to Winslow. The Mariners pressured early, generating a string of five corner kicks but could not find the right combination to penetrate a solid Winslow defense.
“Oceanside was a much better team today than the first time we played them,” Winslow coach Aaron Wolfe said. “We came out flat, stayed composed and settled into the game.”
Eventually the flow of the game turned to the other end of the field where Smith patiently waited for his chance. David Grant found an opening to feed Smith the ball at the top of the penalty area. Smith turned deftly, driving a terrific low line drive into the left side of the net with 15:33 left in the first half.
Behind the play of central midfielders Grant and Taylor Roy, Winslow started to take control of the game. In the Black Raiders system of play, the pair controlled the middle of the field forcing the ball into transition where Smith and his front line teammates were able to generate several quality shots.
“We were just trying to stick to the basics,” Roy said. “They were getting frustrated. We were working hard and trying to get up as fast as we could.”
Oceanside finished the first half with an 8-6 shot advantage but managed just five more shots the rest of the game, all from outside the 18. Winslow goalie Alex Berard made just one save in the second half.
Harrison Clark, Connor Wildes, Braden Maillet and Dakota Herman played flawless defense in front of Berard.
Smith made it 2-0 when he sent a bouncing shot toward the goal that evaded the grasp of Oceanside goalie Philip Atwood with 19:37 left in the game.
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