A scary start for boys vs. Machias
Staff Writer
Community members decked Ashland in orange and black this week, but not for today’s Halloween celebrations. After supporting the boys and girls soccer teams to the Eastern Maine final, the town came out to the varsity fields to cheer during a double-header Friday and watch the Hornets claim both Eastern Maine Class D championship titles.
Star-Herald photo/Mark Putnam
HOLDING THE EM CLASS D championship trophy for all to see, members of the Ashland Community High School boys soccer team celebrate a 5-2 home victory over the Bulldogs of Machias. The 15-1-1 Hornets travel to East Millinocket Saturday for the state finals against Richmond.
Friday’s Eastern Maine class D title game felt tense with the number-one Hornets and number-two Machias battling for the board.
Coach Paradis and the Ashland roster looked forward to their final with Machias. “There’s a lot of old history between the teams … there’s great soccer tradition in both towns.”
The orange-clad fans relished an early lead, when Carl Nemer kicked a ball to the back of the net. However, the referee quickly silenced the revelers calling Nemer offsides. Bulldogs answered with the first official goal of the game by Jake Dahl. Ashland shook off the disallowed goal when Tyler Cote headed in a kick by Nemer. Less than a half minute later, Kenny Tarr doubled the Ashland score. Nemer later made a successful penalty kick. With the clock at 9:46, Nemer again proved his offensive finesse kicking the ball past the Machias keeper with almost no angle.
In the second, Machias’ Mark Little brought the Bulldog score to two, but Ashland defense kept the rest of their attempts back. Nine seconds before victory, Cote ticked in one more ball for good measure, 5-2.
Nemer tallied his season goal to match the Ashland season scoring record held by Darren Belskis at 59. If he makes two more successful offensive plays he will beat the Ashland career record held by Andrew Sjogren.
Lucas Belanger made six saves on 11 Machias’ shots.
Coach Paradis applauded the whole team, in particular, Nick Gimbel for his defense against Bulldog Little. “He’s a one man wrecking crew for Machias,” commented Paradis.
The Hornets boys’ varsity team made the successful goal-kicks in Tuesday’s semifinal match against the number four Tigers, 2-0. The teams matched their offensive fervor, Fort Fairfield with 14 shots and Ashland with 19, but the Hornets capitalized in the first and second half of play.
“The first 20 minutes they had the better offensive opportunities,” noted coach Kevin Paradis, “so it was kind of scary if you were an Ashland fan.”
Freshman Kenny Tarr booted in a pass from Jeremy Tarr, followed by Nemer with a goal late in the second off of Cote.
According to Paradis, three Hornets made important contributions to the win-Gimbel, Jeremy Tarr and Jake Paradis. “Gimbel matched up on Josh Booth, Fort Fairfield’s scorer, and did a great job shutting him down.”
Hornet keeper Belanger provided the shutout with 14 blocks, while Tiger keeper Austin Dufour had 11 saves.
Captains Gimbel, Ryan Carney, Cote and Belanger feel confident about next Saturday’s game. “It’s awesome.” The Hornets, 15-1-1, had the same comment about their new title.
“I felt like we were earning our goals,” Carney, commented about the Eastern Maine game.
Belanger and Cote will keep their focus on this week’s practices where they will work on shooting, passing and winning the ball. “They have a good offensive line,” keeper Belanger has heard of Richmond.
Eastern Maine will root for Ashland against 14-1-1 Richmond in Saturday’s state final at East Millinocket, a match they last won in 1995. “I would think that the town of Ashland is going to be just about empty,” said Paradis. The administration plans to send as many buses to the final as they can fill.
Staff photo/Mark Putnam
MOVING AROUND A SLIDING Machias defender is Hornet Tyler Cote, who scored two goals in the EM Class D finals at home Friday.
Staff photo/Mark Putnam
ASHLAND SOCCER FANS come in all sizes. Kolson and McKenna, the children of Roger and Leslie Condon of Mapleton and grandchildren of Sharie and Jim Laveway of Ashland and Roger and Jackie Condon of Easton, dedicated their “gamewear” Friday to Jessica Jimmo of the Lady Hornets and Kyle Spooner of the Hornets soccer team — their favorite players.
