LEWISTON — Lewiston, as a team, controlled the first half. The Blue Devils possessed the ball well, ran the field well and defended well as they battled Morse in a season-ending, Heal Points-rich boys’ soccer contest at Don Roux Field on Tuesday.

They just couldn’t find the back of the net.

The Devils continued their team dominance in the second half. This time, junior speedster Benji Saban took control on offense. His first goal — in the 22nd minute of the second half — broke the stalemate, and his second — with less than one minute remaining — was the icing on top as Lewiston avenged a season-opening loss to Morse with a 3-0 victory in front of the largest crowd of the season on senior night.

“We had so much speed, I think eventually they wore down a little bit,” Lewiston coach Mike McGraw said. “When Dahir (Muktar) and Benji go in up front, we don’t lose anything. If anything, we get faster, and stronger.”

“I thought (Saban) changed the game,” Morse coach Tom Rackmales said. “I want aware of him much in the first half, but in the second half, I thought he broke us down with some individual stuff, and Lewiston is always dangerous that way.”

Lewiston dominated the first half in time of possession, and spent the majority of the half either in the midfield or in the Shipbuilders’ end. The Devils outshot Morse 12-4 in that frame, but couldn’t push the ball past keeper Grady Madden.

“He’s young, but in my opinion, he’s definitely one of the best keepers in the league,” Rackmales said.

As time ticked away in the second, Saban came to life. His precision dribbling through center opened up some lanes for players to run outside. On his first strike, the got the ball back inside.

“Somehow the defender tripped and the ball was between him and another player,” Saban said. “I went between them to get the ball and put it in.”

Less than nine minutes later, senior Eric Hall added some breathing room.

“Shobow (Saban) shot the ball, and the goalie kind of whipped it right back at me,” Hall said. “I got a bit lucky on that one.”

Hall’s tally put the Devils up by two.

“This being my first year of soccer here, it’s a great experience,” Hall said. “Having the team celebrate around you is just an incredible feeling.”

Benji Saban added his second in the final minute to put the exclamation point on a 12-2-0 campaign, a record that has likely landed Lewiston in second place in Eastern Class A, and has certainly landed the Blue Devils in the KVAC title game this weekend against 13-0-1 Bangor.

“Now it starts over, everyone is 0-0,” McGraw said.

Copy the Story Link