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CONY-GARDINER DRIVE OUT CANCER CHALLENGE

Unified front

Tigers sweep Rams in rivalry soccer games

By Gary Hawkins ghawkins@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

GARDINER -- The cause is noble, the rivalry fierce, which made for good theater Monday night at Hoch Field.

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ALL WINNERS: From left, soccer referee Troy Gray tosses a coin in the air as Cony High School girls soccer honorary captain Colleen Messina, official Neal Crocker and Gardiner honorary captain Susan Moody Snell watch Monday evening in Gardiner.

Staff photo by Andy Molloy

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ALL FOR CANCER RESEARCH: Official Jon McLaughlin tosses a coin as, from left, Cony High School boys soccer honorary captain Carrol Farmer, Gardiner Area High School player Isaac Luken and Gardiner honorary captain Stacy DelGallo watch Monday night in Gardiner. The boys soccer game was part of a four-game series between the schools to raise money and support for the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care in Augusta.

Staff photo by Andy Molloy

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In a continuation of the Drive Out Cancer Challenge, the Cony and Gardiner boys and girls soccer teams took center stage for a pair of exhibitions. The challenge began with the football teams meeting Friday night and will conclude with tonight's field hockey game between the rival high schools.

Proceeds from all the events will go to the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care in Augusta.

Gardiner came away with a pair of victories Monday night, with the girls winning a hard-fought opener 3-2 and the boys cruising to a 5-1 victory in the nightcap. The Class A Rams and Class B Tigers begin their regular seasons this weekend.

The girls game took a turn with a little more than 10 minutes remaining in the half when Cony goalkeeper Melanie Guzman came 30 yards out of her net to contest a shot and collided with Gardiner's Kate Turmelle. Both players were down for several minutes and neither returned to the game.

"She's a little sore in the ribcage and up in the shoulder as well," Cony coach Jeremy Greenleaf said. "She'll see the trainer tomorrow."

Sophomore Shayna Perkins took over in goal and was scored upon less than a minute later when Emily Perkins headed in a direct kick. Cony evened the score on Mia Diplock's penalty kick late in the half, awarded after a handball in the penalty area.

Jen Day made six stops in net for the Tigers in the first half to five for the Rams' keepers, but Gardiner held the edge in play and won most of the 50-50 balls.

"It's good for us to play a Class A school," first-year Gardiner coach Chad Kirk said. "Jen Day (played well), and Beth Day, our stopper. She had that nice goal."

The Tigers outscored the Rams 2-1 in the second half, although Cony held the edge in time of possession.

"We came out a lot stronger and realized we kind of took them lightly," Cony midfielder Suzannah Deeves said.

Day's direct kick from 40 yards out drifted through Cony's defense and eluded Perkins to make it 2-1. Seconds later, Cony's Josie Lee tied the score when she took a cross and put a short shot past Day.

The Tigers' game-winner came when a corner kick bounced off a defender into the net. Beth Day and Lee were named most valuable players for their respective teams.

The Gardiner boys controlled play, outshooting the Rams 13-2 in the first half alone. They led 3-1 on goals from Issac Luken, Peter Williamson and Jeff McAuslin while the Luke Dang scored for the Rams. Junior goalie Blake Doucette kept the Rams in the game with several exceptional saves.

"We're still a little sloppy defensively," Gardiner coach K.C. Johnson said. "But we try to move the ball correctly."

Both teams featured young lineups with Cony often playing three freshmen at once. Kaleb Smith, who played goal in the first half scored in the second on a nice cross from Jake Palmer, while Keegan Smith tacked on the final goal.

Luken and Cony's Josh McKay were named MVPs for the game.

Gary Hawkins -- 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com