FARMINGDALE — Even with a 10-day layoff, the Hall-Dale boys soccer team showed no signs of any proverbial rust as the playoffs got under way.
The Bulldogs cruised to a 6-0 victory over Carrabec in a Class C South preliminary game Friday at the Melvin H. Simmons Complex.
No. 5 Hall-Dale (8-5-0) moves on to the regional quarterfinals on Tuesday. No. 12 Carrabec finished 3-5-0.
“This was good,” said Hall-Dale senior Kai Lucas, who scored two goals. “This is the last home game I’ll ever have, so it’s nice to move on, nice to make a statement.”
The Bulldogs were strong defensively throughout, and showed equally strong passing to set up scoring opportunities.
“The boys played really hard,” Hall-Dale head coach Jesse Rowe said. “We had 10 days between our last game, and we kind of limped into the playoffs. But we played quality opponents the last three games with the top of our conference. It was a good tune-up. Having 10 days (off) definitely showed a little bit, but it was really nice to get that first (win) and hopefully get the ball rolling hopefully in the right direction.”
The game was fairly back-and-forth between the squads early in the first half, until Hall-Dale buried three goals in a five-minute span in the middle of the period. Ihsan Abdalnabi opened the scoring for the Bulldogs, making a nifty move near the net to open up a shot opportunity and an eventual strike. He was followed a minute later by Lucas, who nailed a shot into the top right hand corner of the net for the 2-0 lead.
Hall-Dale’s Ishan Abdalnali (19) hugs teammate Thomas Murch after Murch scored against Carrabec during a C South boys soccer prelim game Friday in Farmingdale. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
Three minutes later, Andrew Guiou scored to give Hall-Dale a 3-0 halftime lead.
“We wanted to put in a few (goals) early, then move back to a more defensive line,” Lucas said. “See if we could possess (the ball), move it around.”
Hall-Dale kept the offensive pressure on constantly throughout the second half, outshooting the Cobras 12-2. Lucas scored his second goal of the game with 28 minutes remaining, converting a shot from 25 yards out. Keegan Cary and Camden Adams also scored for the Bulldogs.
“I’ve got some good (senior) leadership up top,” Rowe said. “I think they accounted for most of the goals, I think Keegan Cary was the only freshman that put one in. We’ve got guys who can do it who are a little bit older, along with some guys that are learning the ropes.”
The Cobras finished with 6 shots on net.
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