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The soccer season will be extended for at least three high school teams in the region.
The Caribou girls, LCS/MSSM boys and Fort Fairfield boys all have post-season bids wrapped up. The Viking and Eagle teams will host preliminary playoff matches later this week against yet to be determined opponents, while the Tigers are the top team in Class D and have earned a bye into next week’s quarterfinal round.
Both Washburn squads still had a shot to get in at presstime. The girls owned the 12th and final spot in Class D and the boys were 15th and just one position out of the playoff picture heading into their matches at Fort Fairfield Tuesday. The boys most likely needed a win or a tie over the undefeated Tigers to advance, while the girls guaranteed themselves a spot with a victory and are most likely still in even with a loss.
The final standings will be finalized today. Prelim games will be played either Friday or Saturday.
A look at each of the three definite playoff teams follows:
Caribou girls (9-3-1)
The Vikings were in a battle for the No. 4 slot in Class B heading into their regular season finale Tuesday at Madawaska.
A victory over the Owls would propel Caribou into the fourth position behind undefeated Hermon and Waterville and No. 3 Oceanside. A loss would translate into a No. 5 or even a No. 6 seed, pending the result of Erskine Academy’s match against Gardiner Tuesday.
In all the scenarios, the Vikings will be home for a prelim match to be played on Saturday.
The Vikings got off to a 5-0 start and averaged seven goals per game over that stretch. Over their last eight matches heading into last night at Madawaska, the team went 4-3-1 and averaged just under two goals. They did record shutouts in four of their final seven contests.
Junior Searra Herbert leads the team in scoring with 20 goals, with senior Maddie Doucette netting 13 more to go along with a team-leading eight assists. Doucette is third in the career scoring list at Caribou High School with 47 goals and owns the assist mark with 34.
Ashley Matlock, a junior, has had a productive season with six goals and seven assists.
“We don’t really care who scores, as long as it helps our team win games,” said veteran coach Todd Albert. “I’ve always said that assists are as important as goals.”
If Caribou and Presque Isle end up in the No. 4 and No. 5 slots and both teams win their prelim games, it would set up a third meeting between the Aroostook County rivals. The Wildcats swept the season series, winning by identical 2-1 margins with the second meeting requiring overtime before being decided.
“I think we need to play just a little better when it comes to finishing, possessing, and defending,” said Albert of what his team will need to do to succeed in the post-season. “We are going to try to rotate fresh bodies into games to make sure everyone is playing hard.
“We are doing a lot of good things, but need to be able to improve the little things to help us win games,” he added.
LCS/MSSM boys (6-7)
Like the Caribou girls, the Eagles still had a game to play as of presstime — at Fort Kent Tuesday night. An upset over the No. 4 Warriors could lift LCS/MSSM as high as sixth in the Class C standings, otherwise coach Jon Hamilton’s Eagles will probably go in No. 8 and host George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill Friday afternoon.
The Eagles never had a long winning or losing streak. They picked up their biggest victories lately, topping both Ashland and Hodgdon (top-seven teams in Class D with a combined 19 wins) after having lost to them in early-season meetings.
It took a while for everyone to learn their role on the team,” Hamilton said. “Once we did, we had some huge victories to put us in the the spot we are now.
“I think a big reason is due to the positive attitude my players have had throughout the season. They strive to improve their play in practices and games,” he added.
Tobyn Blatt is the team’s leading goal scorer with 10 and he also has a team-best eight assists. The second-leading scorer, Alex Sprague with seven goals, has missed the last three games due to a concussion but was expected to play at Fort Kent. Hamilton said he adds quickness to the lineup.
Injuries and illness have plagued the Eagles all season, but Hamilton expected everyone to be healthy for Tuesday’s match, which marked the first time since the opener they were at full strength.
The defense keyed the victories over the Hornets and Hawks and has been led by Paddy Keith-Hardy and Travis Hatfield, who switch off between sweeper and center midfielder. Henry Terhune, Sam Emerson and Trevor Gava have also been strong in the back and Mathew Pelkey has made some brilliant saves and is regarded as one of the top goalkeepers in Aroostook County.
Fort Fairfield boys (13-0)
The Tigers took on Washburn last night but have already clinched the No. 1 position in Class D.
As good as Fort Fairfield was last season in picking up a state championship, this year’s team could be as good or even better. The Tigers have outscored opponents by a 78-4 margin and have not allowed more than one goal in a match all season. They have nine shutout wins to their credit.
The team had to replace its starting goalkeeper and two starting defenders from last year’s title team, but everyone else returned for coach John Ala’s squad and some important newcomers were added to the roster.
“Some returning players have stepped up to fill the vacancies with limited interruption and a smooth transition,” he said. “This team has also been bolstered by a strong freshman class, as well as some first-year players who have joined the program.”
Malcolm Langner did not play his sophomore year, but returned as the new primary goalkeeper, with veteran Solomon Daigle also seeing some action. Juniors Colin Goshorn, Jared Harvey and Dylan Jandreau and senior Greg Jellison are this year’s starting backs.
The midfield group is made up of four talented veterans, including leading scorer Ryan Player, a senior who is regarded as perhaps the top player in The County and one of the best in northern Maine. He is joined by senior Chris Giberson, who scored the game-winning goal in last year’s state game, senior Landen Kinney and junior Isaac Cyr.
Sophomore Jonah Daigle and junior Yoni Mejia are the starting strikers and are both capable scorers.
