Box Score GORHAM, Maine – Senior Dakota Duplissie (Hampden, Maine/Maranacook) and junior Tre Ming (Devonshire, Bermuda/The Berkley Institute) teamed up for a pair of goals – one in each half – to lead the Thomas College Terriers to a 3-0 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a non-conference men's soccer game Monday afternoon at Hannaford Field.
The win is the third straight for the Terriers who improve to 3-2. Southern Maine has its two game unbeaten streak (1-0-1) snapped with the loss and drops to 1-5-1.
Duplissie struck early for the Terriers notching his third goal of the season in the fifth minute. Duplissie benefitted from a well-time through ball from Ming to find himself in the box alone with Huskies' sophomore keeper Elijah Leverett (North Yarmouth, Maine/Greely). Leverett closed down the space, but Duplissie was able to place the ball for a 1-0 lead. Despite being outshot 11-5 in the opening stanza, the 1-0 goal stood through the half as Leverett came up big several times for USM.
In the second half, both teams battled back and forth with the play extending touchline to touchline. The Huskies' had a few strong opportunities for an equalizer, but were unable to capitalize. Sophomore Jonathan Varney (Readfield, Maine/Maranacook) and junior Harrison Hall (Kennebunkport, Maine/Kennebunk) put quality strikes on net, but Thomas sophomore goalkeeper Joakim Sternas (Stockholm, Sweden/Bromma Gymnasium) came up with both saves. Freshman Andrew Morrissey (Scarborough, Maine) also had a near goal in the 74th minute with an attempt to chip Sternas, but the ball sailed just high of the frame.
Thomas earned some breathing room in the 79th minute when William Nilson (Vaxholm, Sweden/Mimers Hus Gymnasium) knocked in his first goal of the season off of an assist from sophomore London Steede-Jackson (Hamilton Parish, Bermuda/Cedarbridge) for a 2-0 Terrier lead. Thomas made it 3-0 in the 81st minute when Duplissie and Ming connected again. This time, Ming lofted a cross to Duplissie on the far post and Duplissie headed it in for the final goal of the game.
Leverett finished the game making 12 saves for the Huskies. Terrier senior Shaquelle Trott (Pembroke, Bermuda/South Kent) and Sternas split time in goal with Trott playing the first 45 minutes. Trott did not make a save, while Sternas made two.
Southern Maine opens the Little East Conference portion of its schedule on Saturday (12:00 p.m.) when it hosts UMass Boston. Thomas College travels to Johnson State on Saturday (4:00 p.m.) for a North Atlantic Conference match.
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