LEWISTON — The clocked ticked down agonizingly slow for the Lewiston boys’ soccer team Saturday night.

Clinging to a one-goal lead and playing a man down, the Blue Devils tried to fend off a desperate Hampden team. Lewiston was able to do just that for awhile until time ran out on the Blue Devils.

The Broncos scored two goals in the final 1:08, including the game-winner with five seconds left in regulation, for a stunning 3-2 win over top-seeded Lewiston in an Eastern A semifinal.

“Losing a player in the field took a lot of our attack away, which sometimes has been a salvation defensively, ” said Lewiston coach Mike McGraw. “They put a lot of pressure on (goalie Shuaib Naji). I think down the end, we broke focus and were playing on our heels and weren’t aggressive. They were coming at us. They were desperate, and it paid off.”

Lewiston (12-3-1) was up 2-0 early in the second half. Goals by Dahir Muktar and Benji Saban had the Blue Devils in control. Hampden(12-3-1) got one back midway through the half before a pair from Kent Reichel completed the comeback.

Everything changed with 19:23 left. With starting goalie Eric Soucy still out with an injury, Lewiston was using Naji for just his second varsity start. When a Bronco ball was misplayed, it got behind him and was headed for an open net. Lewiston defender Kusow Aden knocked the ball away with his hand. He was immediately awarded a red card and Hampden had a penalty shot.

“They seemed to dominate play most of the first half,” said Hampden coach Josh Stevens.  “I knew we had to swing that momentum. The red card and the penalty kick was the momentum shift that we needed.”

Ben Clark took the penalty kick but watched Naji make not only the first save but also a stop a rebound, preserving the lead. Lewiston still had to play a man down the rest of the way and eventually it caught up with the Blue Devils.

“They had to up the attack,” said McGraw. “They put more pressure on us defensively and we couldn’t get the ball out.”

As regulation ticked away, the Blue Devils were holding off the Broncos, but with 1:08 left, Clark’s long throw landed in front. Reichel got a foot on it for the tying goal.

“Coach was just yelling for everyone to get in,” said Reichel. “I made a run and someone skipped it in. I was in the right place at the right time.”

Overtime appeared inevitable, but the Broncos could sense the opportunity and kept coming.

“My guys were just trying to play for the next goal,” said Stevens. “When we tied it, I really thought if we had any chance near the box, that we were going to finish. It almost felt like a little bit of destiny.”

Another Clark throw landed in front, and Reichel got another try with just five seconds left.

“It was pretty much the same scenario,” said Reichel. “The throw from Ben has been a great asset for us all season. I think someone skipped it, and it landed right on my foot.”

McGraw said not having Soucy available played a role, but his Blue Devils played well enough to win.

“It was a factor but in my opinion. These guys are good enough to deal with it,” said McGraw. “They’ve handled adversity. I’ve got nothing but praise for these kids. Since last Wednesday, it was a tough thing to deal with, but they responded.”

Lewiston came out strong and got great chances from Saban and Yusuf Yama early. Then with 10:44 left in the half, Saban crossed it from the right side. It went toward the far post, where a charging Muktar was there to put it in.

Then at 5:41 of the second half, Saban made it 2-0. Mohamed Ali’s pass forward was chased down by Saban. He burst by two defenders for the open shot. Lewiston had opportunities to add to the lead but missed.

“They played a courageous game,” said McGraw. “We had our chances. They just didn’t go.”

Hampden didn’t have a ton of opportunities early, but when Clark’s  high shot hit the crossbar, it bounced back out front. Gardner was there to put in the rebound to draw the Broncos close.

“I was getting nervous, but I was feeling confident we’d get some momentum after that first goal,” said Reichel.

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