HODGDON, Maine — Fans of exceptional soccer were treated to a gem Wednesday, Oct. 30, as the Hodgdon and Easton boys met in a Class D North quarterfinal.
No. 4 Hodgdon (14-1-1) edged No. 5 Easton 2-1 Wednesday in a game decided on penalty kicks. With the win, Hodgdon advances to the semifinals 2:30 p.m. Saturday against No. 1 Penobscot Valley. That game will be played at Hampden Academy as the Howlers home field is not suitable for play.
Easton’s Paul Bonner, right, boots the ball away from Hodgdon’s Josh McGillicuddy during an Oct. 30 soccer playoff. Looking on is Hodgdon’s Colton Folsom. Hodgdon won 2-1.
(Staff Photo/Joseph Cyr)
The two teams battled to a 1-1 tie through 80 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime periods, with neither squad able to seal the victory, sending the game to penalty kicks to decide a winner.
But even then, one round of five kicks was not enough to declare a winner, so an additional round of five more kicks was needed. Hodgdon’s Seth Tapley scored what turned out to be the game-winner on his team’s final kick of the second round.
Owen Sweeney, right, of Easton dribbles the ball up the field Oct. 30 in a Class D North quarterfinal. Defending on the play is Hodgdon’s Hunter Tapley. Hodgdon won 2-1.
(Staff Photo/Joseph Cyr)
Clinging to a 2-1 lead, Tapley calmly blasted a rocket past Easton goalie Kody Carter to seal the Hawks’ victory. Carter made three saves on 10 shots during the penalty kick rounds, while Hodgdon’s Drew Duttweiler had five saves on nine shots.
“What a great matchup this was,” Hodgdon coach Jason Little said. “You can’t get any more evenly matched than this. Easton was just phenomenal. We knew they would keep fighting and never give up.”
Hodgdon grabbed a 1-0 lead early in the second half as Josh Foster scored on a breakaway two minutes into the period. Easton remained steadfast, however, and evened the game at 1-1 with 10 minutes remaining in regulation on Kooper Kinney’s goal.
Dameon Sanders, left, of Hodgdon and Madison Bubar of Easton battle for the ball during an Oct. 30 Class D North quarterfinal game. Hodgdon won 2-1.
(Staff Photo/Joseph Cyr)
Relying on a freshman goalie to come up big in the playoffs has proven to be a safe bet for the Hodgdon boys soccer team this postseason. Freshman goalie Duttweiler came up big during the penalty kicks, stopping three of four shots in the final round.
Duttweiler, who normally wears glasses, used contact lenses for the first time in his soccer career. Coach Little said he checked with Duttweiler several times before the game to make sure the contacts were not impacting his vision.
Easton’s Austin Carver, right, tries to kick the ball away from Hodgdon’s Jeremiah Goff during an Oct. 30 Class D North quarterfinal. Hodgdon won 2-1.
(Staff Photo/Joseph Cyr)
“It was stressful,” Duttweiler said of the penalty kicks. “But when you have a good team, stress doesn’t matter. Coach has had a lot of confidence in me, and I hope I have lived up to that.”
Easton coach Ryan Shaw said he thought his team played well against Hodgdon.
Hodgdon’s Jeremiah Goff, right, watches his shot sail to the net as Easton goalie Kody Carter defends. (Staff Photo/Joseph Cyr)
“We moved the ball well and we wanted to keep the ball on the ground,” he said. “We struggle when the ball gets in the air, and Hodgdon was able to do that somewhat. But they played hard and I am proud of the guys.”
For Shaw, Wednesday’s game was eerily similar to a couple of playoffs from his past as he has experienced both sides of a penalty kick contest. Last year, Easton fell 2-1 to the Maine School of Science and Math in a game decided on penalty kicks. Shaw also won an Eastern Maine championship with Hampden Academy in 2004 on PKs.
“The kids worked really hard,” Shaw added. “We have had challenges all year long, but at the end of the day, somebody has to win and somebody has to lose.”
Easton’s Camden Michaud, right, reacts to getting hit with the ball as teammate Paul Bonner looks on during Wednesday’s quarterfinal soccer game with Hodgdon. (Staff Photo/Joseph Cyr)
