SUNAPEE — Ben Seiler sprinted over to the far sideline and put out his hands as his Mascoma High boys soccer teammates jumped on him, celebrating his goal in the 45th minute of Monday’s match.
The junior held out his hands for a few seconds, his go-to celebration. Except on Monday morning at Alexander Field, it was if he was asking the Sunapee Lakers to bring it on.
Seiler had just scored his 15th goal of the season, a direct kick from beyond 30 yards out to the upper left corner of the net. The kick was called because of a foul, as two Lakers toppled Seiler while he was trying to get closer to the goal.
Mascoma handed Sunapee its first lost of the season, 2-0, in a chilly, physical contest at Alexander Field. Three Lakers were dealt yellow cards in the second half.
“I don’t think other teams come out to play physically,” Royals coach Keli Green said. “They do overmark Ben. You’ll see two, three guys covering him in the box. And they’re bigger bodies than him, and he can’t get around them because they are body-blocking him. But I would do the same if I was playing Ben.”
Monday marked the first meeting of the season between the teams.
They usually scrimmage in the preseason, but due to COVID-19 restrictions they didn’t have the chance this summer. Sunapee (5-1-0) lost in last year’s NHIAA Division IV championship game and won the year before, and Mascoma (5-2-0) made it to the D-III semifinals a season ago.
Both teams had chances in the first half but couldn’t convert. The Lakers took four corner kicks in the final 10 minutes, but Royals goalkeeper Connor Thompson was steady, guiding his defenders around.
“They passed to their feet; we didn’t,” said Sunapee coach Jack Iacopino. “We weren’t quick to the ball. We just sent 40-yard passes to the ball. We didn’t run to the ball. That made it hard.”
Seiler’s goal five minutes into the second half seemed to wake up Mascoma’s offense, which hadn’t been assertive with the ball. From there on, the Royals dominated the possession and pace of the game.
They took a two-goal advantage in the 66th minute, when a Sunapee corner kick was cleared by a long boot from Mascoma’s Cole Moulton. Seiler, the lone attacker in the upper third of the field, took the pass on the run and made a quick move past the only Laker defender inside the box. A quick touch with his right foot then made it past diving Sunapee goalkeeper Sean Moynihan, who finished with six saves.
“We were coming off of a good game against Hanover, even though we lost 4-1,” said Thompson, who made 10 saves in his third shutout of the season. “We played as a team, and our chemistry is really good. It’s just clicking for us right now.”
Mascoma’s chemistry is on display in games. Players are loose and have a good understanding of where each is on the field. Gavin Giovagnoli and Gabe Sperry are threats to score as often as Seiler, too.
The Royals’ seven seniors have been playing together since rec league, and the junior class also has a fair amount of experience with the group.
The loss to Hanover over the weekend gave them a chance to size up where they are, and Green admitted she was happy they kept it that close. But pulling off a win Monday against a playoff-caliber team was the reminder that they’re on the right path.
“They’re a group of boys that want to win,” Green said.
Notes: Mascoma hosts Sunapee on Friday afternoon. … Green said that Tuesday’s game against Hanover was rescheduled from last week, but she doesn’t think the Royals will play since it would be their third game in four days. … Mascoma took three corners but had 13 shots. … With less than 20 minutes left in the first half, a ball flew out of bounds and knocked over an iced coffee, which got a good laugh from the players. … Sunapee spray painted boxes on the ground for fans to put their lawn chairs for social distancing purposes.
Pete Nakos can be reached at pnakos@vnews.com.