AUBURN — Waynflete took advantage of early opportunities against both of St. Dominic Academy’s goalies, but otherwise scoring was a grind in Tuesday’s WMC boys soccer matchup.

The Flyers did all their scoring in the first half before the well went dry in the second half of a 3-0 victory.

Waynflete (4-1) coach Brandon Salway said he thought his team responded well after suffering its first loss since 2017 against Greely on Saturday.

“We moved it really well today, got a lot of people involved, got a lot of chances,” Salway said. “We’re still working on finishing. So obviously we’d like to finish more chances, but I’m pretty happy with the way we moved it today.”

That ball movement led to Pat Shaw streaking up the left side with the ball five minutes in, when he was taken down in the box. He then made the ensuing penalty kick to put the Flyers on the scoreboard quickly.

“We’re used to playing from ahead, and the last two games — Traip and Greely — we’ve played from behind a lot,” Salway said. “So it’s always to play with the lead. I think it gives players an opportunity to relax and play their game.”

The Flyers had plenty of openings, but finding the frame proved difficult. It didn’t look that way for Oliver Burdick 19 minutes in, however, when he brought down a cross from Ben Adey and then beat Saints starting (3-3) goalie Matt Gosselin.

The junior keeper stopped three of the five shots he faced before he was injured stopping Shaw’s chance at a through-ball with 8:22 left in the first half.

“Matt is a great keeper, I think one of the best in the conference,” St. Dom’s coach Joshua Shaw said. “So when you lose a guy like him, it’s tough.”

Senior defender Zack Pelletier took over for Gosselin in goal and was greeted by a rare Flyers finish. Samir Sayed slid a pass through to Joey Ansel-Mullen, who found the inside of the right post from the left side with 2:32 left before halftime.

“I thought getting the third one was an important goal,” Salway said. “They’re all important, but to get a third one right before half really helped us carry the play, I think.”

The first 40 minutes left Shaw wondering what could have been for his team.

“I thought we made a few mistakes that hurt. For the most part I think we stuck with them,” Shaw said. “You know, we gave up a penalty in the first half, and then we got caught on the counter twice. So we clean up those mistakes and it could have been a different ballgame.”

The Saints played the Flyers even on the scoreboard in the second half, and much of that can be attributed to Pelletier, who stopped the final eight shots he faced, including six after halftime.

“He made two really good saves, off the top of my head, and other stuff that really kept us in the game, kept it closer,” Shaw said.

The Waynflete defense, however, made any thoughts of a comeback moot. The backline allowed just three shots all game, including a free kick in the first half and off a corner kick in the second half. The only shot in the flow of the game came from 25 yards out off the foot of Alex Roy, but Aidan Carlisle corralled it confidently. Carlisle’s toughest save came off a put-back chance of Roy’s corner kick seven minutes into the second.

“Our backs are really solid, and Aidan has played well in goal since Luka (Antolini) has been out,” Salway said. “That’s what we’re capable of doing as long as we stay tight.”

Related Stories