Freeport’s Sam Wogan gave his team a quick lead against visiting Gorham on Saturday morning, but Ram Tristen Brunet needed less than a minute to even the tally, and roughly another minute after that to give his squad the advantage – and all the game’s momentum.

Gorham went on to win the matchup 18-1; the result bumped the Rams, third in A West, to 7-0 on the season.

Freeport, meanwhile, slipped to 4-4. The Falcons are fourth in B East.

“This game, in particular, we really are starting to pull things together,” said Gorham head coach Dan Soule. “Obviously we’ve had a decent season, as far as wins and losses, but today, team concept was in full effect.

“We did a nice job in all three phases. Offensively, we moved the ball well; transition picked up today compared to the last two games. So. I think they understand that the team concept is what I expect, and that’s what they’re executing.”

“We weren’t able to pass and catch,” said Freeport head coach Geoff Arris, good-humoredly. “Our game-plan was to keep it very simple and just focus on passing and catching and shooting, and we came out and started off real strong – first three minutes of the game.

“And then (Gorham) was a little bit more aggressive, a little bit more hungry, and they took over. And we, somehow, for some reason, let it happen.”

The matchup promised, initially, a good deal of excitement. Wogan put the Falcons on top just 51 seconds in, firing from the top-right of the Gorham zone. Brunet answered almost immediately, taking advantage of a Freeport defensive lapse to cut out from behind the Falcons’ net, whirl once in front and fire. The shot beat goalie Zac Wogan and balanced the scoreboard.

But then the momentum began to shift decidedly in the Rams’ favor. Brunet scored again, and in almost exactly the same way: by jetting from behind Zac Wogan, through a porous Freeport defensive perimeter, and spinning, shooting, scoring. 2-1.

It’s important to note that Freeport was down some key players, including defenders Jake Todd and Jake Perry. Missing athletes is a circumstance that can afflict any team, any time, though, and Arris isn’t one to rely on such explanations, even if he acknowledges them as factors.

“We had a lot of guys that aren’t here, and so we had a lot of different people playing different positions,” he said. “Not an excuse, but everyone had to change their mindframe from that.”

Todd’s and Perry’s absences contributed heavily to the Falcons’ defensive issues, leaving Zac Wogan alone with Rams attackers not just once or twice, but “a lot of times,” as Arris put it. “For the first half, [Gorham] had nine goals, and seven of them, I think, were just working the ball around and wide-open on the crease. No one was talking, we were very quiet.”

It could’ve been an unlucky Falcons’ stretch; Gorham is an excellent team, but Freeport is no slouch either, and may have simply needed a little wakeup call. But another minute on – just four minutes into the first, and following a lengthy Rams’ attack – Alex York notched Gorham’s third point of the morning, and the contest looked like it might get away from the Falcons.

It did. Freeport defended admirably for the next six minutes, Zac Wogan turning away a number of powerful Rams blasts; likewise, the Falcons surged on offense more than once – but their shots just wouldn’t fall. Even a pretty feed by Sam Wogan to Brady LaFrance for a powerful, off-angle blast couldn’t beat Gorham keeper Carter Landry.

When Mike Susi grabbed the Rams’ fourth point with 1:43 to play in the quarter, the bout was hardly decided, but clearly in one team’s hands. Ryan Hamblen earned yet another point for Gorham to put them on top 5-1 as play slid into the second.

The Rams added four more before the break, and then seven in the third – including four inside a minute: Susi’s work on the faceoff “X” was overwhelming, and handed a hot Rams’ offense the ball again and again.

“Every time we win a faceoff, and every time we create a turnover and put pressure on ball, it gives us another possession, another opportunity on offense,” said Soule, “And that’s mainly what we’re trying to do, is create as many turnovers as possible and win the transition. When we do that, we’re successful. When we’re the hardest-working team on the field, we’re successful.”

“We came out a little bit on fire in the second half,” said Arris. “But that got extinguished pretty quick. (Gorham) gets one, and (we) put (our) heads down a little bit. Just trying to snap them out of that, it felt kind of like Falmouth all over.”

To Freeport’s great credit, they significantly slowed Gorham in the fourth. The Rams managed just two additional points in the final 12 minutes. The Falcons, however, couldn’t regain their composure enough to earn another notch, and the final buzzer tolled on a 18-1 result.

“In that fourth quarter, we put Nate Thomas in,” said Arris. “He’s a freshman, and he did everything we asked for out of a middie. So, he was coming back on defense, he took a shot – it’s his first time stepping into a varsity game. He did it without overthinking, and that’s really what we needed. I probably should’ve put him in a lot sooner, because he really stepped up. Hopefully these guys can tune it in, and be ready for Monday practice.”

Brunet finished with four goals and a trio of assists for Gorham. York had four goals and two assists, Susi four goals and three assists. Abraham Eaton hashed a hat trick, Cam Wright a goal and an assist, and Joe Gallant two assists.

Freeport travels to York on Tuesday the 19th for a showdown with the Wildcats. Gorham visited No. 2 Westbrook on Monday the 18^th, after Current Publishing’s print deadlines.

Gorham’s Abraham Eaton chases after Freeporter Perrin Davidson in the Rams’ 18-1 victory over the Falcons on Saturday morning.Gorham goalie Carter Landry makes one of his 15 stops on Saturday morning at Freeport.Freeporter Sam Wogan and Gorhamite Abraham Eaton vie for a loose ball on Saturday morning.Gorham’s Ryan Hamblen lays a check into Freeport’s Connor Dostie.Freeport’s Reid Poissonier carries forward for the Falcons against Gorham on Saturday morning.Gorham’s Alex York fends off Falcon Reid Poissonier in Freeport on Saturday morning.Gorham defender Taylor Perkins clears the ball against Freeport on Saturday.