LEWISTON — For a guy with three shutouts in three varsity boys’ soccer starts, Brunswick High School junior Seth Holmblad hasn’t exactly been overworked.
That changed dramatically in the final three minutes of regulation Saturday afternoon at Don Roux Field.
Holmblad deflected one golden opportunity to the relative safety of the green real estate beyond the crossbar, giving Lewiston the first of its three corner kicks in the closing stages.
The third time was nearly a charm for the Blue Devils and a nightmare for Holmblad. Nothing was settled until the Dragons’ new goalkeeper cradled a perilously loose ball at the goalmouth as the horn sounded, allowing the Dragons to escape with a 1-0 Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference victory.
“It was my first real close game, so it was really nerve-wracking,” Holmblad said. “I just had to come through for my team.”
Holmblad did that, in such rapid-fire succession that he probably didn’t have time to ponder his frayed nerves.
Ali Hersi ignited the late charge for Lewiston (1-2), lofting a direct kick from 40 yards that cleared everyone’s head in front of Holmblad.
The ball took a healthy hop toward the top of the cage, where Holmblad leaped, palmed the ball and essentially rolled it over the crossbar.
Mitchell Black, who scored the eventual game-winning goal with 5:50 remaining in the first half, cleared the zone for Brunswick (3-0) after the ensuing corner kick.
Later came two more Lewiston corners, one from each side, in the final 30 seconds. Shobow Saban hoisted the final offering, starting a tic-tac-toe sequence that put Eric Hall in position for a point-blank header with two seconds remaining.
“I had it, and then someone hit it out of my hands,” Holmblad said, “but I luckily grabbed it as I was falling down.”
It was Holmblad’s 12th save of the game, sealing a frustrating finish for Lewiston. The Blue Devils (1-2) held Brunswick to two shots on goal in the second half and enjoyed a 17-9 overall advantage.
“Brunswick’s hard to finish on,” said Lewiston coach Mike McGraw. “They’re well-organized. They’re well-coached. They get the numbers back they need. They’re poised. If ever there was word that was appropriate for us, it is ‘unlucky,’ although you’ve got to make your own luck.”
Black’s goal was an unassisted blast from 15 yards. It followed a quick change of possession after Lewiston generated a lion’s share of the scoring opportunities for most of the first half.
Garrett Brann, Evan Turmenne, Konnor Scarponi and Jimmy Kenyon joined Black as defensive stalwarts in front of Holmblad for the defending Eastern Class A champion Dragons, who didn’t exhibit an ounce of panic while playing with the lead.
“That’s definitely the best team we’ve faced so far, and I think our defense held up really nicely,” Holmblad said. “We feel we’re a great defensive team, so once we have that cushion it’s always good.”
Hersi and Shobow Saban had the best looks at the cage throughout the game for Lewiston (1-2), which will get a rematch on the road Oct. 2.
Cony, Edward Little and Mt. Ararat give the Devils three straight Heal point-worthy games over the next 10 days as their homestand continues.
“We’ve got to find a way to break through. I’m glad we’ve got a chance to play them again,” McGraw said. “We’ve got to start putting wins together, because they only take 50 percent (of teams) for the playoffs. You can be the best team in the world, and ties and losses don’t help you.”
koakes@sunjournal.com
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