Castine, ME – CMCC Men's Soccer scored three times in the first half and held off NCAA DIII squad Maine Maritime Academy from there to claim their first official victory of the season. Drew Hatala scored his first career collegiate goal in the opening minutes and Mitch Cameron scored twice just before the halftime break to put the game away.
The Mustangs looked comfortable on the ball right from the opening whistle and soon had the lead with a move that covered the length of the field. Centerback and captain Alfie Bashford found Mikel Soto in the middle of the field, and the sophomore delivered a picture-perfect through ball for Hatala to run onto. The winger launched a low shot just inside the near post past a diving Nolan Gaboriault in net for the Mariners. For Hatala, it was the first career goal in the 7th minute for the freshman out of Sabattus, ME.
Yoan Thériault nearly doubled the lead with a curling effort that was destined for the top corner before the keeper got a hand to it, leaving the Terrebonne, QC native still snakebitten after multiple chances to score his first goal in the early season.
Captain Mitch Cameron gave the visitors an insurance tally in the 43rd minute. The Maine Maritime defense scrambled a ball away from the end line, but could clear it only as far as Cameron on the right side. The reigning YSCC Tournament MVP belted a shot to the far post that slipped past Gaboriault and nestled into the side netting for a 2-0 lead.
He then put the game away just two minutes later. With six seconds left on the clock, Cameron pounced on a loose ball toward midfield off a throw-in. The Knutsford Academy product uncorked a volley from more than 45 yards out, sailing the shot over the head of the stranded goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
The Mariners brought on 6'4" junior goalkeeper Reagan Moynihan as a replacement in net, but the damage was done. The Mustangs managed possession in the second half while putting four shots on target in the final 45 minutes. Maine Maritime had a couple of one-on-one opportunities against Central Maine goalkeeper Guelor Kazadi, and may have drawn fouls for penalty kicks on another day, but the sophomore from Johannesburg, South Africa kept CMCC's first clean sheet of the campaign. Overall, the Mustangs outshot the Mariners 15-6 and had a 10-3 edge in shots on goal.
Central Maine now sets its sights on its first Yankee Small College Conference games of the season, finishing off its five-game road trip with a weekend swing to New York and Vermont. The Mustangs face the ACPHS Panthers on Saturday, September 13th before taking on the VTSU-Randolph Knights the following afternoon.
