Eagles top scorer Beowulf Urban stays in control. Photo by Franklin Brown
Blue Hill—The Eagles varsity boys soccer team, neck-and-neck with Orono through much of the season, was edged out of the fourth spot—and home field advantage—for their playoff quarterfinal game against the Red Riots on October 28.
GSA’s 9-4-1 regular season record bests Orono’s, which stands at 6-5-3, but falls behind a few points in the Heal Point tournament index. That index determines the playoff rankings and is based on what some find a complex statistical equation that awards more points for wins over higher division teams and fewer points for teams in a lower division.
Two wins against class C teams last week helped the Eagles secure their final ranking, earning them a bye in the preliminary game.
Against Sumner on Monday, GSA posted a 2-0 win, scoring both goals in the second half. Hosting Dexter on October 15, the boys slammed a 7-0 win.
Walker Ellsworth pushes past Sumner to control the ball. Photo by Franklin Brown
The quarterfinal game against Orono will test the Eagles’ all-around game. Face to face, GSA is 1-0-1 against Orono, after squeezing a 3-2 win against the Red Riots on October 10.
If GSA can secure the quarterfinal win, they likely will face top-ranked Washington Academy in the semifinals. At 14-0, Washington Academy hasn’t lost a game this season, and crushed the Eagles 6-1 the last time they played. The two teams are 2-0 face-to-face this season.
Nick Bianco works to get the ball to the goal. Photo by Franklin Brown