Nick Johnson is not one to hold back. He’s a player that brings energy and up-tempo play to a Huskies men’s soccer team who lost seven players to graduation last season. Johnson brought this type of play to the field on Tuesday as he helped the Huskies topple the Thomas College Terriers 5-0 in a non-conference men’s soccer match in Gorham.
USM did not hesitate to make a statement in this game, as they got on the scoreboard early and would not look back. Freshman forward Johnny Warren (Bangor, ME) struck first for the Huskies in the 13th minute, as he handled a pass from Johnson (South Portland, ME) and fired a shot from 10 yards out past Thomas junior goalkeeper James Liebowitz. Senior defenseman Steve May (Brunswick, ME) was also credited with an assist on the goal. Less than a minute later the Huskies struck again, as May drove down the field blasting a cross to the 18-yard line where senior midfielder Peter McHugh (Scarborough, ME) headed it in the left side of the goal to increase the Huskies lead to 2-0. Getting ahead early is something that Coach Mike Keller claims has been a catalyst for the success his squad has had so far this season.
“We really kept our composure and moved the ball quickly early in the game. We were taking chances and maintaining the ball and that’s when we’re at our best,” Keller said. “It was a little frustrating on defense after we took our lead because we were taking things for granted, but once we sorted that out and settled down I feel we were controlling the game well.”
The Huskies orchestrated themselves in a concise manner with smart play as they went on to control the majority of the tempo in the first half. USM added another tally towards the end of the half when Johnson booted a rocket off the crossbar, and sophomore forward Mohamed Mohamed (Biddeford, ME) picked up the rebound and chested it in for his second goal of the season.
The Huskies kept the balance that they showcased in the first half, as they scored again at the 61:55 mark when Johnson added to his stellar performance by scoring his 5th goal of the season. USM junior goalkeeper David Kreps (Agawam, MA) booted a long punt that Johnson ran down and kicked it in from 12-yards out. The fifth and final USM goal was notched in the 83rd minute when freshman Noel King (Westbrook, ME) fired a direct kick from 25 yards out that bent around the TC goalkeepers’ hands.
Keller praises his upperclassmen this year as they have showed maturity and have led by example for the younger players.
“Pete (McHugh) and Alex (Burnham; North, Yarmouth, ME) did a great job controlling midfield for us today, and Steve and Burke were tremendous on defense. We have outplayed teams this year and lost, so it was good to get this win in a game we played extremely hard in,” Keller mentioned.
Johnson has been a key player for the team this year as he is leading the team in goals (6), assists (3), and points (15).
“Nick has been playing well as of late, and today it really showed,” Keller added.
Kreps played the entirety of the game as he tallied four saves on Thomas’s six shots, and posted his second shutout of the season. Kreps’s counterpart, Liebowitz, made six saves on USM’s 18 shots on goal before giving way to sophomore backup John McIntire in the 81st minute of play.
The USM men’s soccer team who is now 4-4-0 after earning their first conference win on Saturday vs. Plymouth State, come into this week seeking to take a game at Colby on Wednesday, and a key conference game at UMass Dartmouth (#3 in LEC standings) on Saturday.