AUBURN – It’s amazing what a little bit of teamwork can do for a team.
Three different players scored goals, three more added assists and keeper Austin Fuller made 11 saves to lead St. Dom’s to a 3-0 win over Western Maine Conference rival Traip in a boys’ soccer game on Friday.
“One of the things we were really happy about today was that we weren’t afraid to go after the ball,” said St. Dom’s coach Lee Hixon. “In the past, some teams have been a little passive.”
“Compared to last year, this year we’re making a lot more passes and running to space,” added St. Dom’s forward Greg Barlion.
“We’re finally working as a team,” echoed Saints forward Nate Brown.
Brown, Sheldon Roy and T.J. Ustach all scored for the Saints (1-0-1) as they applied steady pressure to a Traip midfield and defense that was shaky at times.
“We played well early, building it from the defense to the forwards through the midfield,” said Traip coach Paul Marquis. “But they did a good job getting us away from that, and they controlled it from there. They played hard and went after the ball hard, and we didn’t.”
With only four seniors playing and with three freshmen seeing time with the varsity team, the Saints aren’t the same as the experienced and powerful teams of the past, but the squad worked well together and was efficient.
“We have three fullbacks in there that are two seniors and a junior that all have deep heart,” said Hixon. “They play every game like it’s a playoff game.”
Those fullbacks kept Traip’s strikers at bay for most of the afternoon, allowing only three or four quality shots to reach the Saints’ first-year varsity netminder.
“I think the first five minutes of the game, we came out a bit flat-footed,” said Fuller. “After that, the team just played good today. Their No. 3 (Tom Roots) was around the net all day, but I had my defense in front of me so I wasn’t really worried. They take care of me.”
Tom Gosselin made several clearing plays when Traip threatened early in the first half and again late in the second.
Brown netted the Saints’ first goal in the eighth minute on a long cross from freshman Matt Barlion, Greg’s brother. After a quick scare, St. Dom’s doubled its lead when Roy slammed a Jeff Lewandowski through-ball past Traip keeper Connor Kuehl.
In the second half, after weathering a late flurry, Ustach netted his goal on a ball from 10 yards out on a pass from Andrew Allen.
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