GRAY — Big plays led Lincoln Academy to a 4-0 victory over Gray New Gloucester in a Class B South boys soccer game Tuesday.

The Eagles scored off a corner in the first half and a semi-breakaway and a header off a free kick in the second half.

EJ Hunt netted two of Lincoln Academy’s four goals.

“We have been working on set pieces the past couple of days, and we were pretty happy with that win — it was important to get this one today,” Lincoln Academy coach Jeff Burroughs said.

The game was crucial in the Heal point standings with the Eagles (5-4-1) entering the game in sixth and the Patriots (6-3-1) fifth.

“We needed a good win here because they were the five seed and we were the six seed,” Hunt said. “It was competitive, and once Julius (Empt) scores that first goal, it got us going, some energy.”

The Eagles attacked and countered for most of the first half. After missing the net on their first two shot attempts of the game, they got on the board with a corner in the 21st minute. After the ball got into the 18-yard box, defender Julius Empt booted it into the goal for a 1-0 lead.

“We like to send one of our center backs in that space,” Burroughs said. “He has done that a couple of times this year for us.”

Gray-New Gloucester’s first high-quality scoring chance came in the 26th minute on a free kick that went right to Lincoln Academy keeper Drew Hunt.

“The first half, we worked a little bit harder off the ball to maintain possession, and we weren’t able to do that,” Gray-New Gloucester coach Neil Carroll said. “Lincoln pressured us pretty good early on, and credit to them, they had a tough one at Freeport the other day and came back today and worked hard. Honestly, they out-worked us in the second half a little bit.”

EJ Hunt extended the Eagles lead early in the second half when he used his speed to chase down the ball and chip it over Gray-New Gloucester goalie Tristan Cuttler and into the goal.

“The goalie did a good job, but I got a little step and tried to capitalize on it,” EJ Hunt said. “It was really good, it was awesome.”

The Patriots had a chance to get on the board a few minutes later, but Hunt got control of the ball inside the box.

Cuttler kept the Patriots in the game in the 11th minute of the second half when he made a diving save on a low shot to keep the game 2-0. Cuttler made a few other saves in the half to keep Gray-New Gloucester in striking distance.

“In all honesty, when you need a big save, he’s game for it,” Carroll said of Cuttler.

EJ Hunt put in a header off a long free kick for a 3-0 lead for the Eagles in the 26th minute, and James Henley capped the scoring with a nice run in the box in the 35th minute.