BIDDEFORD — Scarborough only needed a little bit of space and the right kind of shot, and the Red Storm got both of those twice in the second half, as it broke a scoreless tie at halftime and won 2-0 against host Biddeford in an SMAA girls soccer game at Waterhouse Field on Saturday.

The Red Storm (3-0) had two good chances in the first half, but Biddeford (1-1-1) goalie Anna Marie Seiler made sensational saves both times on shots that were right at her.

“Those ones directly at you aren’t as hard as it seems,” said Seiler. “That’s just a matter of reflexes.”

The game was scoreless at halftime, despite Scarborough getting more shots. The Tigers came on strong at the end of the first half, trying to swing momentum their way.

It didn’t take long for Scarborough to retake its momentum, and take the first lead of the game. Aly Atherton found a small opening among Biddeford’s defenders just outside the penalty box, then lopped a shot over the outstretched hands of Seiler into the top of the net 2:12 in.

“Pretty simple: we gave time and space. And against a dangerous team like that, not a good combination,” Biddeford head coach Darren Boynton said of what led to the goal.

Seiler regrouped and made a couple of saves over the first 15 minutes of the half, but the Tigers defense left another opening midway through the half for Scarborough’s Emma Koukos, who lofted a shot of her own over the hands of Seiler to make it 2-0.

“She did the best she could; she made a great attempt at both of them. Really didn’t have a shot at them,” Boynton said of Seiler. “She didn’t hang her head; she didn’t get vicious with anybody.”

“I don’t think, when you have the right team and the right people with you, I don’t think it’s demoralizing at all,” Seiler said of giving up a goal that is impossible to stop. “If you have the team to pick you up after that, and I do.”

The Tigers were able to push the ball closer to the Scarborough goal, but weren’t able to make Red Storm goalie Molly LeComte sweat too much. Boynton said the Red Storm defenders played a big role in shutting out his team.

“They read the game really well, they see things and they use their bodies extremely well to keep you away from the ball. Very, very disciplined back line,” said Boynton.

The Tigers said they didn’t want to compare this year’s team to last year’s, which far exceeded outside expectations, including drawing with the Red Storm at Scarborough. And although the Tigers played the perennially contending Red Storm close again this year, Boynton said moral victories aren’t enough.

“One of our captains spoke up and said, ”˜In the past, 2-0 would have been OK, but it’s not OK anymore.’ They definitely are not satisfied with a 2-0 defeat,” said Boynton. “They absolutely know that they have played better, they can play better.”

“They’re a great team, but we’re a great team, too. I think that Biddeford is coming back this year, and I don’t think we’re a team that should be underestimated,” said Seiler. “I do think that if we met them again this season that we would be able to hold our own.”

The Tigers will look to get back in the win column on Wednesday when they host McAuley at 4 p.m.

— Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or sports@journaltribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.