Gorham, Thornton Academy tie in Class A South boys soccer matchup
Gorham and Thornton Tied 1‑1 in Class A South Showdown
The Gorham Rams and the Thornton Academy Golden Trojans finished Wednesday night with a 1‑1 draw that left both teams near the top of the Class A South standings. The match, played on a hot, dry field in Gorham, was a showcase of skill and determination from two of the league’s best squads.
In the first half, Thornton’s Sabri Ninziza headed home the opening goal after a sharp cross from Ephraim Mambueni. “I always go behind … and I saw the ball coming in, and I just had to make sure I headed it in the right corner,” Ninziza said after the goal. “It was amazing. This is what I was waiting for, and this was what we worked for.”
Gorham answered just before halftime. Moises Ntango delivered a crisp cross from the left flank, and Cohen Landry met it in the air for a headed goal with 3:42 to go. “He’s always telling me to cut back, because he’s going to keep it in the air longer,” Landry told reporters. “I kind of scissor‑kicked it. I’m not sure what happened in the moment.”
The Rams had a burst of early momentum, outshooting the Trojans 7‑2 in the first 25 minutes. Coach Nick Viola described the team’s intensity: “It was just the urgency Viola wanted to see, two games after what he called a ‘difficult’ 1‑0 loss to Scarborough. We were hungry to get off to a good start. The emphasis was just getting into our attacking third early, trying to find the net early, and we were very, very close.”
In the second half, Thornton tightened its defense and generated a number of promising chances. The Trojans were best positioned for a winning goal after a slip by Santiago Macias Olivar and a near‑miss from Andres de Haro, who was flagged for an off‑side. “A couple of calls I thought could have gone our way but didn’t,” coach George Sherry of Thornton said. “But what can you do? That’s part of the game, for sure.”
Defensively, the Rams’ Antoine Dube was a standout, derailing a Thornton corner in the 66th minute, while Griffin Ayers of the Trojans shut down Ntango in a tense one‑on‑one duel in the 62nd minute.
With the tie, the Rams remain 8‑2‑1, while Thornton stays unbeaten at 8‑0‑2. In the Varsity Maine poll, the Golden Trojans sit third, with the Rams fifth. Both teams now look toward the playoffs, confident that a draw against a rival top‑four opponent is a positive result.
Stat Leaders
Gorham – Cohen Landry (goal), Moises Ntango (assist), Corbin Wilson (five saves)
Thornton – Sabri Ninziza (goal), Ephraim Mambueni (assist), Lucas Stolf (eight saves)
