FREEPORT — Tuesday’s soccer match between Freeport and Poland was over quickly. The Falcons were in control the entire first half, scoring five goals and holding the Knights to zero shots, eventually running away with a 7-0 win in the teams’ Western Maine Conference showdown.

Joe Ashby got the scoring started for Freeport (5-3) in the 15th minute, finishing a one-two pass combination from teammate Eriksen Shea. The goal came after 15 minutes of constant pressure and one big save from Poland (0-8) keeper Matthew Thebarge.

And Freeport was just getting started.

Seven minutes after the opening score, sophomore Shea Wagner rose up and headed a swinging cross into the net on a corner kick. After a third goal was called offside and Thebarge made two more point-blank saves, Jacob Tomm tapped in a duffed clearance off the line to make it 3-0.

A mere three minutes later, Colby Wagner got into open space in front of goal and punched in a firm cross from Josh Spaulding to make it four. Wagner made a solo run into the box and scored again with just under three minutes left in the half to cap things off.

Freeport took three corners and fired 17 shots in the first 40 minutes.

“They moved the ball really well,” Poland coach Mark O’Connor said. “They came out energized and ready to play and they took it to us.”

“I liked that we were creating good opportunities,” Freeport coach Joe Heathco said. “This isn’t normally a high-powered offense, so the fact that we’re finishing and were getting opportunities to finish is really positive.”

Just before halftime, O’Connor pulled the Poland starters and sent a fresh group of 11 on to the pitch. With a young roster that includes just two seniors, O’Connor said the second half of the match was about “understanding what we need to work on and getting better in the next game.”

The starting 11 came back on in the middle of the second frame, but it was the reserves that mustered the Knights’ only shot of the match in the 62nd minute.

Freeport used the time to work on tactics. Heathco had the team running a different offensive set and was merely focused on trying to execute it.

“It’s good and bad,” Wagner said. “We definitely want to have a challenge coming in. That second half, we definitely tried to work to get the ball around. We didn’t get as many goals as the first half, but we were working on things and we definitely want to get better for Falmouth on Thursday.”

The Poland defense stood much stronger in the frame, allowing only two shots on frame and four overall. Still, Eric Pelletier converted on a breakaway in the 67th minute and Caleb Arsenault struck one in from the top of the box at the 9:50 mark to make the score 7-0.

“I liked that we had a good focus and intensity coming out of halftime,” Heathco said. “We were really working on a set offense that we’ve been developing. The second half, we weren’t able to score too much, but the focus was executing our offense.”

A tough WMC schedule just doesn’t allow Heathco to do it every match.

“It was a good opportunity to do that,” he said. “It’s tough in a practice situation to simulate a game intensity, so to be able to that in this game and do pretty well with it was good.”

The Falcons also had a chance to mix in some new players and get underclassmen on the pitch.

“I think it’s great. We got all of our swing players in with a lot of valuable minutes,” Wagner said. “They have that experience now, so it’s going to help us going on as we get into playoffs and for next year.”

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