Erskine boys soccer tidbits

The Erskine boys soccer team has made smooth transition to Class A this season, something the Eagles did a few years back when they also jumped up to Class A. They pride themselves on outworking their opponents and for the most part have done that this season.
“We don’t have any real studs on our team,” senior stopper Evert Fowle said. “It’s more of a team game.”
Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Edward Little left the team at 6-2-2 and among the top six teams in Eastern Maine Class A. The Eagles and Coach Phil Hubbard employed a 5-4-1 alignment at the beginning of Tuesday’s game to avoid giving up an early goal, something that has been a recent problem. Hubbard changed to a 4-4-2 and the Eagles scored two quick goals then dropped back into the one-forward spread again.
Junior goalie Brian Potter, filling in for the injured Zack Busmanis, was outstanding in goal. Not only did he deliver several booming goal kicks but three of his nine saves were outstanding, even for a veteran. Hubbard will likely put Potter back at center-mid when Busmanis returns but it’s nice to know he’s has such a capable back-up in net.
The Eagles were especially good Tuesday when the ball was in the air, generally headed the ball away from trouble on defense, while scoring two goals on headers.
“We like the air,” Hubbard said. “We’re very strong. We were strong last year in the air.”
Referee Charlie Brown called a strong game, talking to players after hard fouls so it wouldn’t get out of hand, but also letting them play to their potential. It’s nice to see officials talk to players and coaches instead of simply enforcing rules that sometimes deserve an explanation.