JAY — It seemed like any time Winthrop junior forward Rowan Goebel-Bain was nearby the Spruce Mountain net, he scored a goal.

Goebel-Bain turned in a four-goal performance as the Ramblers drifted away with a 6-2 victory over the feisty Phoenix in a Class C boys soccer game on a bright Tuesday afternoon.

But Goebel-Bain has done this before, which explains why he was nonchalant when he spoke about his four-goal feat.

“So it was just team possession, and it is important to have a lot of people on the ball,” Goebel-Bain said. “My goals came from many different people. It is just a team effort. I happened to be the striker so it worked well for me.

“They (Phoenix) were fighting hard. We went down one with the first goal of the game. We had to buckle down.”

There was no question Winthrop (6-7) owned the second half, but the same could not be said in the first half, when the Phoenix were soaring high.

Spruce Mountain (3-11) not only struck first, but held the lead on two occasions during the team’s senior night and season finale.

“It was extraordinary,” Spruce coach Adam Gettle said. “(But) they were getting tired. I wanted to keep my seniors in there. They deserved it. They played a very good season so I wanted to keep them out there as much as possible.

“We were just getting beat to the ball (in the second half). Yeah, first half was great. I think Winthrop is a great team. They are a phenomenal team. They are quick, fast and get to the ball. We definitely played good soccer all around. They were the better team tonight.”

Spruce freshman forward Kaleb Finelli sent the ball into the upper left-hand corner of the Winthrop for a goal at 26:40, with the assist going Cameron Cain.

But the Ramblers responded in kind little over a minute later when Goebel-Bain scored his first goal to tie the game. Junior forward Owen Foster was credited with the assist.

At 18:31, junior forward Jack Gilbert scored on a feed from senior midfielder Jacob Paradis, giving Spruce a 2-1 lead.

The Ramblers turned right around scored at 15:03 when Andreas Kjaergaard booted in his goal on an assist from Goebel-Bain to tie the game.

Winthrop went ahead 3-2 after Goebel-Bain scored his second goal without assistance with 3:47 left in the first half.

The second half featured a three-goal eruption from the Ramblers.

“The second half they played with urgency,” Winthrop coach John Baehr said. “They played together. We got the ball to the area where we are more successful. 

“I told the boys (the Phoenix) are going to come out, senior night, and it’s their last home game. They had a small glimpse to get in the playoffs. They needed to beat us, and we are worth points. They came out; they played together. We just settled down. They picked their spots and scored two quick goals on us.” 

Winthrop junior midfield Colby Emery drilled a direct kick from about 20 yards out and put it past Spruce sophomore goalie Jacob Bryant (seven saves) at 32:04 to give the Ramblers a cushy 4-2 lead.

Goebel-Bain topped off the Ramblers lead with back-to-back goals at 25:35 and 15:05, with assists from Kjaergaard and Emery. Winthrop junior keeper Jake Smith (six saves) got the win in net.

Spruce Mountain’s season ends without a playoff berth. The Ramblers are 11th in the Class C South Heal point standings with one game to play, Thursday at home against Mt. Abram (9-3). Winthrop leads Dirigo (which finishes the season at Mountain Valley on Thursday) by less than two Heal points for the final postseason berth.

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