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| Contributed photo/jMavor Photography Eagle player Chelsey Pelkey, left, tries to dribble past Easton players Emma Bonner, center, and Elise Allen during Thursday’s varsity soccer game played in Limestone. Easton came away with a 5-4 victory. |
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
The Caribou girls and boys soccer teams finally will get their regular season under way this week, with the opening games being played at home against their biggest rivals.
Tonight, coach Todd Albert’s Lady Vikings will entertain Presque Isle at 7 p.m. The Wildcats swept the two regular season games last year, but Caribou downed the ’Cats on penalty kicks in the finals of a preseason tourney held earlier this month in PI.
“[Presque Isle] always has a competitive team,” Albert said. “Both teams graduated many seniors, so this matchup is different than last year. But the team that finishes their scoring opportunities will win the game.
“We’re playing at home and my girls will play hard, so it should be a good game.”
On Thursday, the boys’ teams from Aroostook County’s only Class B schools will square off, also at 7 p.m.
Viking coach Scott Hunter said PI will provide his team with a difficult test to begin the campaign.
“There are many good teams in the conference, with Presque Isle being one of them,” Hunter said, “but we’re excited about the challenge. We played three intense matches with them last year, winning the last two, so I’m sure they’ll be gunning for us.”
He said the Vikes will need to control the midfield and prevent speedy Wildcat junior forward Ben Nickerson from getting too many touches. Hunter also said PI goalkeeper Cody Lyford is “very athletic” and “will keep them in a lot of games.”
Caribou will also be at home next Tuesday, Sept. 3 for a doubleheader against Fort Kent. The boys’ game is at 5 p.m., with the girls to follow at approximately 7 p.m.
Fort Fairfield recently got its regular season under way, and the wait was well worth it for the girls’ squad.
Coach Kerrie Alley’s team played twice in a three-day period late last week and was able to compile a pair of shutout victories.
Fort bested Wisdom at St. Agatha Thursday, 3-0, and then played its first home game Saturday and blanked Easton, 4-0.
Logan Bubar tallied all three goals against the Pioneers and the defense took care of the rest. Goalkeepers Megan Jellison and Sarah Watt combined to save four shots for FF. Two days later, Janae Libby scored twice and Bubar had the other two as Fort blanked an Easton team which had scored 13 goals in its first three contests.
Libby, Teresa Maynard and Kailanny Hernandez all had assists for the winners. Jellison and Watt again shared the goalie chores and combined for three saves on four shots.
“This group of girls is focused each day on their task and is willing to work to get better,” said Alley, who added that Bubar, Libby, Abbey Player, Nicole Giberson, Lindsay Blaisdell and Alyssa Dougherty have done a great job of providing senior leadership thus far.
“Their focus has been to work together and stay positive with each other every game,” the coach added.
The schedule ramps up as Fort took on high-scoring junior Parise Rossignol and the Van Buren Crusaders on the road Tuesday afternoon and on Thursday hosts defending Eastern Maine champion Washburn, 4-0 so far this season. The Tigers then have a rematch against the Bears in Easton Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 3).
Washburn kept its high-scoring offense in gear with two more wins last week. The Beavers recorded an 8-1 victory over Van Buren last Wednesday and then gained their first shutout Friday when they held GHCA-Hodgdon scoreless, 8-0.
Mackenzie Worcester, Carsyn Koch and Mikayla Churchill had two goals each, while Joan Overman and Laina Mette had one each in the home win over Van Buren. Taylor Howe saved five of six shots in goal for the winners.
At Houlton, Worcester slammed in five goals in the lopsided win. Overman notched two and Carmen Bragg added the other and chipped in with two assists. Koch also assisted on a pair of goals, while Kennedy Churchill had a helper.
Washburn has now outscored its four opponents by a 34-3 margin and have not scored less than seven goals in a single game so far. Coach Marcie Barbarula’s Beavers played Central Aroostook in Mars Hill Tuesday prior to its game at Fort Fairfield.
On Thursday, Easton and Limestone-MSSM squared off in a high-scoring contest in Limestone, with the Bears able to hold on for the 5-4 victory. The game was knotted at one at the half before the offense picked up.
Easton then grabbed a three-goal lead as Brown scored twice and Stephanie Hammond and Carter one each, but the Eagles rallied behind Mariah Williams, who garnered a natural hat trick with three second-half goals, one on a penalty kick. However, Limestone-MSSM couldn’t come all the way back.
Brown also had her team’s first-half goal, while Limestone-MSSM’s Ellyzabeth Bencivenga scored prior to intermission.
Despite the loss, first-year Limestone-MSSM coach Becky West took some positives away from the opening game.
“I was impressed with the communication I heard on the field,” West said. “Our offense had good ball movement and had some really good looks on goal. Our defense is working hard and never gives up.”
The Eagles hosted Wisdom Tuesday and are off until Sept. 6 when they plays their first road game of the season at Madawaska.
On the boys’ side, the Washburn Beavers had a two-game winning streak entering its game at Central Aroostook Tuesday. The Beavers bested GHCA-Hodgdon Friday, 2-0, behind goals from Cameron Bragg and Noah Farley. Jarrett Olson picked up the shutout by saving four of 10 shots.
Last Wednesday, Washburn faced an early deficit but scored three unanswered goals to beat Van Buren at home, 3-1. Farley, Bragg and Noah Caron scored for the Beavers and Jacob Rioux netted the Crusaders’ lone goal. Olson saved five of nine shots in goal for the Beavers, who played Central Aroostook Tuesday and next meets up against the Fort Fairfield Tigers Thursday at 4 p.m.
Easton needed overtime to stop Fort Fairfield Saturday, 2-1. Freshman Hunter Brown broke the tie with 1:49 left in the first overtime session.
Logan Halvorson got the Bears on the board 34 seconds into the game off an Ian Sotomayor assist before Lance McKenney tied it for the Tigers off a Carter Shaw corner kick.
The Bears had a much easier time two days earlier as Drew Sotomayor tallied six goals, three in each half, and assisted on another in an 8-1 win at Limestone. Hunter Turner and Logan Dickinson also scored for 3-0-1 Easton. Halvorson chipped in with two assists and freshman goalkeeper Jake Flewelling stopped four of five shots.
Zeb Hardy scored 14:10 into the second half for the Eagles’ only goal. Tristan Kirk had the assist. Eagle goalkeeper David Smith collected 13 saves on 19 shots.
Limestone-MSSM entertained Wisdom Tuesday and doesn’t play again until Sept. 6 when it hits the road to take on Madawaska.
The Fort Fairfield Tigers opened their slate Thursday with a 3-2 loss at Wisdom. Evan Esancy put in two goals for the Pioneers, including the game-winner. Johnny Theriault converted a Michael McLellan pass for one of the Tiger goals, while Ryan Player connected on a penalty kick for the other.
Fort played at Van Buren Tuesday and will host Washburn Thursday before playing the Bears again next Tuesday, this time in Easton.
