Lewiston fends off Edward Little in regional semifinal

Nov. 3—LEWISTON — Lewiston emerged victorious in a close, physical match against Edward Little in an epic rivalry showdown.

The top-seeded Blue Devils secured a 2-1 victory in the Class A North regional semifinals at Don Roux Field on Friday night, thanks to Abdimalik Nur’s game-winning goal in the second half.

“That goal felt surreal, especially because of the timing,” Nur exclaimed. “… It feels absolutely amazing.”

This marks the second consecutive year that Lewiston has defeated Edward Little in the regional semifinals. The two rivals split their regular season series this year, with Lewiston winning 2-0 in early September and Edward Little closing out the regular season with a 5-3 victory.

“Every game between these teams is a battle,” commented Lewiston coach Dan Gish. “Winning feels great, but I can’t help but feel for those guys (on Edward Little). We have a connection with them outside of the game. We camp together, we know each other. It hurts to see them disappointed, but they had their chances. They could have sealed the deal, but we stood strong.”

Edward Little coach Max Thompson acknowledged that the fifth-seeded Red Eddies performed admirably and could have emerged as the victors.

“I’m not displeased with the way we played,” Thompson said. “Lewiston has some exceptionally talented players who are difficult to keep off the scoreboard. Our boys did a great job. We had opportunities, and that’s just how the game goes sometimes.”

The Blue Devils (13-2-1) will now advance to the regional final, set to take place at Lewiston High School on Tuesday.

Both teams had scoring opportunities within the first 10 minutes of the game. In the eighth minute, Dayow Daud’s free kick missed the target for the Red Eddies (11-5). In the following minute, Mohammed Gabow found himself with a breakaway opportunity but narrowly missed the far post with his shot, as Edward Little goalie Eli St. Laurent challenged him.

Lewiston took a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute when Tegra Mbele redirected a pass from Mustafa Hassan into the net with a sliding kick.

“I couldn’t let that first big opportunity slip away,” Mbele emphasized through his teammate Obed Antonio, who acted as a translator. “So I took it and executed it.”

Gish noted that Mbele has been displaying improved finishing skills as of late.

“Tegra is incredibly dynamic, fast, and he has made significant progress as a finisher,” Gish stated. “He’s really coming into his own and has a true knack for scoring goals.”

The Blue Devils had two chances to extend their lead in the 25th minute but failed to find the back of the net.

Edward Little equalized in the 30th minute of the first half when Ben Cole set up Daud to chip the ball over Lewiston goalie Payson Goyette and into the goal.

The Red Eddies had a couple of opportunities to take the lead before halftime, including a header off a free kick that narrowly missed the target.

The second half began with great energy as the Blue Devils created several chances from a corner kick in the fourth minute, after the Red Eddies struggled to clear the ball.

Two minutes later, Cam Roy had a superb scoring chance in the box for Edward Little, but his shot sailed over the crossbar and through the uprights of the football field goal frame.

“You work hard for those opportunities and hope they come your way; it’s a special moment for a player,” Thompson remarked. “(Roy) will have plenty more chances. He’s a highly talented kid, and he’s only a sophomore. I couldn’t be prouder of the progress he has made this season.”

St. Laurent made a crucial save on a breakaway in the seventh minute. Shortly thereafter, Lewiston appeared to score from a corner kick, but the goal was disallowed due to interference on the goalie.

Nur gave the Blue Devils a 2-1 lead midway through the second half when Jacinto Mavinga provided the pass in the box, and Nur’s powerful shot found the back of the net.

“He’s an extraordinary player, and he’s going to make waves in the coming years,” Gish praised.

Nur admitted that the remainder of the game seemed to drag on, but he had confidence that the team would hold on to their lead.

“The final 20 minutes felt like an eternity,” Nur shared. “Our team performed exceptionally well. We headed the ball out, we cleared it. At times, we held onto the ball to waste time. That strategy helped us secure the victory.”

The Red Eddies almost got lucky in the 29th minute when a deflection in the box came close to a goal, but Goyotte made the save. In the 35th minute, Thiago Linhares took a shot from just outside the box that missed the target.

“We tried to push more players forward to add pressure and create more scoring opportunities,” Thompson explained. “That added pressure to our defense, but they held up well. A 2-1 game is a close game. Sometimes the chances just don’t go your way.”

Tickets for Tuesday’s regional final can only be purchased through MPA’s ticket vendor, available here.

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