WATERVILLE — Closing in on the end of the regular season, the Maranacook boys soccer team only has one enemy before the playoffs.
That enemy is the Maranacook boys soccer team.
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The Black Bears defeated Waterville 3-0 on Friday during a Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference crossover game at Webber Field. The Class C Black Bears are 13-0-0, while the Class B Purple Panthers are 9-4-0.
Maranacook out-shot Waterville 16-1. Though happy with the win, Black Bears head coach Don Beckwith said the team still has room to improve before the playoffs.
“We didn’t compose ourselves around the ball enough and we didn’t move around without the ball enough,” Beckwith said. “We really played into (Waterville’s) strategy and we really didn’t do anything but help them. We need to work on that stuff a little bit.”
Both teams will make their respective class’ playoffs. Waterville is the No. 10 seed in Eastern Class B, while Maranacook is a game away from locking up the No. 1 seed in the Western Class C playoffs.
“What we need to improve on after this game is the level of work, the level of intent we come out with,” Maranacook’s Ben McLaughlin said. “We just have to work to the ball. As coach always says, hard work pays off.”
“We need to worry about us,” Beckwith said. “We need to worry about what we need to do and make it better.”
The Black Bears missed on two early scoring opportunities. Their first shot of the game hit off the top crossbar. With 26 minutes left in the first half, Kent Mohlar passed the ball to Ryan Roy, who had an open shot at the net but hooked it wide.
Mohlar put Maranacook on the scoreboard two minutes later, maneuvering around the front of the net just enough to find an open shot, sneaking it past Waterville goalkeeper Liam Edwards for a 1-0 lead.
Maranacook tallied another goal with three minutes remaining in the half. Bailey Clark hit a floater right near the front of the goal, and McLaughlin was able to head the ball into the net for the 2-0 lead.
“For how tall I am, I have a lack of goals in the head department,” McLaughlin said. “(Clark) crossed it right across the opposite post. I just jumped up, was able to head it into the corner of the net. It was pretty nice.”
Beyond the two goals, Waterville did well keeping the constant pressure by the Black Bears at bay, while Edwards made six saves in a busy half.
Play was more back-and-forth in the second half, but Maranacook added one more goal when Kodey Solmitz hit a shot from 10 yards in front of the net, giving the Black Bears the final 3-0 lead with 16 minutes to play.
Edwards, who played brilliantly despite the final score, finished with 10 saves.
“He’s super tough and does a great job,” Waterville head coach Kerry Serdjenian said.
The loss was a moral victory for the Purple Panthers, who entered the game without one of their top players in Michael Oliveira, who was out with an injury. Maranacook’s roster was also more than double Waterville’s, who only had one substitute player throughout the game. The Purple Panthers cut the Black Bears’ win by more than half of the 7-0 score Maranacook had in their last encounter on Sept. 23.
“The only two teams we’ve lost to this season are Maranacook and Winslow,” Serdjenian said. “We have three seniors and two juniors and our juniors weren’t able to play today. We went from losing 7-0 to 9-0 to those teams to 3-0. I’m super proud of my boys. We have good things ahead of us for the next couple of years.”
Serdjenian said the Purple Panthers will be back at full strength for Tuesday’s regular-season finale against Leavitt.
“It’ll be the first time we were at full strength since the last time we played Maranacook,” Serdjenian said. “I’m real proud of the young guys; I think we’ll be looking good for the playoffs and the next couple of years.”
Dave Dyer — 621-5639
ddyer@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @Dave_Dyer
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