AUBURN – Players and coaches were exhausted and voices were spent. Fortunately, there will be ample time for recovery before the Lewiston and Edward Little boys’ soccer teams pick up where they left off Saturday.
The two soccer rivals let it all out and battled to a grueling 0-0 tie in 80 minutes of regulation and two five-minute overtimes. The two clubs meet again Friday, Oct. 7, at Lewiston.
“That’s the first time in a couple of years that I’ve almost lost my voice in a Lewiston game,” said EL coach Dave Morin. “We haven’t competed with them too much the last two years. We caught them at a real good time, and we knew we had to take advantage of it.”
Lewiston (4-1-1) was coming off a 2-1 loss to Mt. Ararat on Friday, but had plenty left in the tank for the Red Eddies (4-1-1). The scoring was lacking, but the game had quality chances, excellent play by both goaltenders and a fierce intensity that showed little give from either squad.
“We need to play intense games to get ourselves ready because if you make it to the playoffs, the games are like that all the time,” said Lewiston coach Mike McGraw. “Lewiston-EL should always be a very competitive well-played game. That was a typical old time Lewiston-EL game.”
EL could have taken an early lead but couldn’t put the opportunities away. A couple of Lewiston defenders hampered that cause as well.
“There was good intensity for us,” said Morin. “In the first half, we should have had a couple goals. We hit a post and missed an open net.”
Midway through the first half a Tyler Dorris dead ball set up Marc St. Hilaire, whose shot hit the left post. Minutes later, Nate Guerrette had an open net with goaltender Brian Nason scrambling. Cory Chamberlain helped clear that ball. Later, Erik Waite headed out another offering headed for the net.
“I thought Erik Waite did a great job back there and Cory made a goal line save,” said McGraw. “Nason couldn’t get there, but (Chamberlain) was there.”
Lewiston’s best bid in the first half came from a Dave Patry shot from the left side. It was headed toward the top of the net, but EL keeper Josh Mains made a leaping one-handed save.
In the second half, Lewiston outshot EL 6-3 and controlled most of the play, but EL’s defense didn’t surrender many prime opportunities.
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