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| Contributed photo/Liz Graves-MDI Islander Cody Herbert of the Caribou Vikings dribbles toward the goal during Saturday’s game against Mount Desert Island, while the Trojans’ Jack Sasner tries to keep up. Caribou and MDI played to a 2-2 deadlock in Bar Harbor. |
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
The Caribou boys are now 3-0-1 over their last four games after starting 0-2. The biggest win of the season came last Tuesday as the Vikes were able to edge past previously undefeated Madawaska. The key, according to coach Scott Hunter, was the team’s ability to limit Ian Lee, who is the top goal scorer in Maine boys’ soccer history. Matt Milliard drew the marking assignment and with help from Taylor Thibodeau kept Lee and the entire Owl team off the scoreboard throughout.
The Vikings scored their goal with 3:09 left in the second overtime as Colby Holdsworth rebounded in a shot off the foot of Cody Herbert and got it past Owl goalkeeper Tim Deschenes.
Caribou senior goalkeeper Matt Manter made some brilliant saves to preserve the shutout.
“This was one of the more satisfying victories I have experienced, given the quality of our opponent and the tremendous effort of the players, who executed our gameplan beautifully,” said Hunter.
Against MDI Saturday in Bar Harbor, Caribou had to settle for a 2-2 tie against the Trojans. Kameron Manter scored both Viking goals after the Trojans had grabbed an early 2-0 lead. Caribou outshot its opponent by a 21-5 margin and allowed a total of two shots in the second half and during the two overtime periods. Hebert had the assist on Manter’s second goal.
The Vikes play at Ellsworth Saturday against one of the storied programs in Eastern Maine. It is a rematch of last year’s semifinals, which was won by the Eagles. Caribou enters the game in second place in EM Class B, with Ellsworth a slot behind at 3-0-1.
The Caribou girls registered a 4-0 win over Madawaska last Tuesday behind two goals from Bria Judd and one each from Sarah Doak and Megan Thornton. Morgan Outing garnered her second shutout of the campaign.
On Saturday, coach Todd Albert’s squad fell at MDI, 2-1. Judd scored on a header off a Thornton assist for the lone Caribou goal.
“We need to play tougher and more physical,” Albert said. “Little things add up in close games, and there were a lot of little things we can do better.”
The Viking girls dropped to 3-2 and were in fifth place in the division heading into yesterday’s game at Ellsworth.
The top two girls’ teams in Eastern Maine Class D met for the second time in 11 days Thursday and the results were a total departure from the first go-around.
After Ashland handed Washburn a 4-0 defeat Sept. 9 in Washburn, the Beaver girls turned around and blanked the Hornets in the most recent meeting held in Ashland, 7-0.
“We knew Ashland was a great team, but the girls were determined to step it up,” said Washburn coach Marcie Barbarula. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but we realized we were going to have to rely a lot on our defense, so we marked up their three top scoring threats and the team worked very well together. Their communication on the field is what made the difference.”
Mackenzie Worcester had a hand in all seven Beaver goals, scoring three and assisting on the other four. Washburn improved to 10-1 on the season and took over the No. 1 position in the standings, with Ashland still in second at 6-1.
The Limestone-MSSM girls limited Van Buren and high-scoring striker Parise Rossignol to two goals last Wednesday, but they were the difference in the 2-0 win. Rossignol had scored six times in the teams’ first meeting, an 8-5 triumph Sept. 10.
“We worked hard and made Parise and the entire Van Buren team work hard for every look they got,” said Eagle first-year coach Becky West.
The following day, the Eagles rebounded for a 6-0 win over Hodgdon/GHCA. Mariah Williams and Melissa Cantafio each had three goals, with Williams adding three assists and Cantafio a pair.
Williams has now tallied 12 goals and nine assists in the first seven matches. “She is not afraid to attack the goal and is a great playmaker,” West said.
