LEWISTON – Coach Mike McGraw has lost track of the number of 2005 Lewiston High School graduates who are playing men’s college soccer somewhere this September. Is it four, or five? Wait a minute, maybe six.
All you need to know about the relative health of the Blue Devils’ program is that at least twice that many seniors should give McGraw quality minutes on the field this fall.
Tuesday night, Lewiston’s linchpin was three-sport ace Jon Fournier, who crafted a hat trick to hoist the Blue Devils to a 5-1 win over the Gardiner Tigers in their home opener at Don Roux Field.
Next time, it could be somebody else. Lewiston (2-0) has exhibited no shortage of scoring punch in clocking its first two Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference opponents by a combined 8-1 margin.
“After Jon scored his second goal, I saw him to start to look across the field for other people,” McGraw said. “We’ll go as far as leadership like that takes us.”
Husayne Carnegie, one of only three juniors in the starting lineup, assisted Fournier’s second goal and added a tally of his own. Keenan White also scored for Lewiston.
Senior goalkeeper Brian Nason made eight saves, including several brilliant stops after intermission in his bid to preserve the shutout.
Gardiner striker Mike Burdin broke the spell with 5:18 remaining, hooking up with Kolby Peckham on a two-on-one breakaway.
By then, Lewiston already had made wholesale defensive substitutions.
Lewiston pushed the issue early, with Fournier finding the net on a pretty chip shot from the left side at 8:47. Just over four minutes later, he cashed in a feed from Carnegie and rifled it home for a 2-0 lead.
Hussein Naji set up White’s goal with 13:41 left in the half.
“We played an extra guy up front, which leaves the defense a little more wide open, but it paid off for us,” Fournier said. “Defense is what wins games, but I think our offense is going to be equally good this year.”
Fournier and friends don’t need a long memory to find motivation in the KVAC and Eastern Class A playoff chase.
League rival Mt. Ararat eliminated Lewiston in the regional semifinals on penalty kicks last October after four overtimes failed to settle the match.
“I was the one who missed at the end,” Fournier said. “We all remember that game. There are three of us seniors who have been playing varsity since we were sophomores.”
While Fournier might talk up the revenge factor with reporters, McGraw said that he’s more of a lead-by-example guy.
“He was chosen as a captain this year, and I think he said maybe five words all last year,” said McGraw. “Jon’s the kind of kid who when he does say something, you’re surprised. It’s like the old E.F. Hutton commercial. You listen.”
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