Winslow High School’s Cameron Goodwin (32) battles for the ball with Mt. Blue High School’s Samuel Smith (28) at Kennebec Savings Bank Field in Winslow on Tuesday. (Michael G. Seamans/Waterville Morning Sentinel)
WINSLOW — Mt. Blue lacrosse coach Keith Averill wasn’t sure what to expect Tuesday afternoon when his Cougars took on Winslow.
Five of his players were taking advanced placement tests and would either be late for the game or not show at all. They included his starting goalie as well as senior Reed Wells, one of his leading scorers.
Not to worry.
Freshman Nick Fraser filled in admirably in goal while Wells showed up in time to score five goals, four in the fourth quarter, to lead the Cougars to an 11-9 victory that was in doubt until the closing seconds.
The win was the first of the season for Mt. Blue (1-3) which competes in Class B while Class C Winslow fell to 3-2.
“It was our first win,” Wells said. “From now on, the wins will come easier and easier.”
Mt. Blue had not surrendered the lead in the game until junior Colby Nadeau’s shot from 15 yards deflected off a stick to make it 7-6 Black Raiders in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter.
A three-minute penalty for slashing and unsportsmanlike conduct cost Winslow early in the final quarter as the Cougars twice capitalized to take an 8-7 lead. Wells tied the game at 7 after taking a feed from sophomore Evan Stone, then Stone picked up a ground ball in his own end of the field, dodged a couple of defenders and scored unassisted to make it 8-7.
“Evan is very good” Averill said. “That’s my focus right now is to get him to be on of the (key) players to our offense.”
Wells’ second goal of the period made it 9-7 with 8:18 left to play. The Raiders twice cut the lead to one on goals from junior Colby Nadeau but each time Wells answered with a score, the second time when his team was sitting on a one-goal lead.
“I don’t really think about it,” Wells said. “I see the goal and I try to score because really at the end of the game it’s about who puts more points on the board.”
The Raiders twice lost senior captain Bryce Hillier to injury, first on a slash to the head that resulted in a two-minute penalty and then with five minutes left in the game when he caught a stick in the back and didn’t return. Hillier scored five goals for Winslow over the first three quarters.
“He’s one of our leading scorers,” Winslow coach Dakota Gendreau said. “Definitely he commands a lot of attention from our opponents. Not having him did make a bit of a hole for us.”
The game grew a little chippy in the final quarter as both teams pressed hard for the win. It resulted in penalties on both sides but ultimately hurt the Black Raiders more.
“It’s part of the nature of the game,” Gendreau said. “There’s always been a bit of a rivalry. When you see two teams like this on the field they’re known for their rough tough physical play.”
Fraser finished with 13 saves and twice robbed Nadeau on point blank shits. He was particularly sharp in the first period when the Raiders peppered him with 10 shots.
“He made I don’t know how many point-blank saves,” Averill said. “He kept us in the game and allowed us to keep that couple goal lead.”
Brody Looney scored twice for Mt. Blue while Stone also had two goals to go with four assists. He scooped up a ground ball in front of Winslow goalie Alex Demers (nine saves) and scored as time expired in the first quarter to give his team a 3-1 lead.
Winslow High School’s Bryce Hiller (26) chases the ball as he breaks through Mt. Blue High School defenders Nick Foy (50) right, and Levi Hiltz (18), left, in the first half at Kennebec Savings Bank Field in Winslow on Tuesday. (Michael G. Seamans/Waterville Morning Sentinel)
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