Monmouth boys soccer races past Richmond in D South final

The Monmouth Academy boys soccer team carries the championship plaque over to celebrate with fans after they beat Richmond 5-1 in the Class D South final on Tuesday in Augusta. (Joe Phelan/Staff photographer) Purchase this image

AUGUSTA — Another year, another showdown in a regional final.

The Richmond and Monmouth boys soccer teams met in the Class D South final for a third straight year on Tuesday.

The teams split their previous two championship clashes, but the Mustangs gained the upper hand this time with a convincing 5-1 victory at Cony High School’s Fuller Field. Zane Foyt led the way with three goals.

“I think they’re a very tough, tough team to play,” Monmouth midfielder Bryce Fletcher said. “Last year, we faced them and lost; the year before, we beat them.”

Monmouth (15-1-1) will meet Northern Maine champion Fort Fairfield in the Class D championship Saturday at Hermon High School. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.

Richmond, the defending state champion, finishes the season 7-9-1.

Mustangs coach Joe Fletcher said the team was ready from the get-go Tuesday night.

“We played really well in the first half, we were relentless,” he said. “We talked about pressing them in a high block as soon as possible. They responded and forced them into a lot of turnovers and a lot of opportunities for us.”

Monmouth Academy’s Bryce Fletcher celebrates a goal by Zane Foyt during the Class D South boys soccer final Tuesday on Fuller Field at Cony Middle and High School in Augusta. Fletcher assisted on the goal that put Mustangs up 2-0 in first half. (Joe Phelan/Staff photographer)

Foyt scored all three of his goals in the opening half.

“It felt good. It felt like I was in the flow,” he said. “It really helped to have my teammates set me up. I feel like they would just give me the ball and I would just be in open space.”

Foyt’s first goal came 11 minutes into the first half when he dribbled into the 18-yard box and flicked a shot with his right foot inside the far post past Richmond goalie David Edwards.

Monmouth added three more goals in the final eight minutes of the half. Foyt finished off a Bryce Fletcher pass for his second goal. He then stepped up and booted a line drive shot from well past the 18-yard box into the net for his third and final strike.

“(Foyt) has been doing this thing all year long, and it’s just been great to see,” Bryce Fletcher said.

Noah Schultz capped the scoring in the opening half for Monmouth.

Richmond coach Peter Gardner said the Mustangs midfielders helped put the Bobcats on their heels.

“Well, with the four (forwards), they were doing a fairly decent job,” he said. “Our problem was the second line (midfielders). The second line was the one that was great and the problem for us. What happened was that our guys got back too far, so they had some momentum going forward.”