By Ryan McLaughlin
Bangor Daily News
and Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
The semifinals marked the end of the road for both Presque Isle varsity soccer teams.
The Wildcat squads had games Monday in the Bangor area against the top-ranked teams in Class B North, and both suffered tough 2-1 losses.
The PI boys played John Bapst at the University of Maine at Orono, while the PI girls took on Hermon. The games were supposed to be played Saturday, but were moved back due to the weather.
In the boys’ contest, the Crusaders netted a pair of first-half goals and even though the Wildcats had the better of play in the second half, they came up a goal short.
Paul Branch and Alvara Valls both connected on shots from the top of the 18, the first at the 24:25 mark and the second at 10:44, to put John Bapst in control.
“We dug ourselves a big hole. We were sloppy early on and slow getting our legs under us,” said PI coach Joe Greaves. “Their two dynamic guys up front are dangerous with the ball and we knew if they touched it anywhere near the 18, they would score. Sure enough they each had one shot in the first half and they were both perfect shots. That’s all it takes for them.”
Griffin Guerrette put Presque Isle on the board 14 minutes into the second half and the Wildcats had a few more opportunities to score down the stretch and tie things, but couldn’t capitalize and fell short in the end.
“The second half we played much better,” Greaves said. “We settled in and really gained control of the game.”
Pat Cash collected four saves while facing 10 shots in goal for PI, while Tom Carmack saved five of 10 shots in net for the Crusaders, who improved to 15-1, with the lone regular season loss coming against the Wildcats in Presque Isle Sept. 24. John Bapst will match up against No. 2 Winslow in today’s regional championship.
The Wildcats, the fourth seed in the division, finished 10-6.
“Overall it was a good season,” Greaves said. “Our seniors have been in back-to-back semifinals and that is an accomplishment in itself. Even though falling short stings, they have a lot to be proud of.”
The ’Cats graduate eight senior players: Cash, Josiah Morse, Marcus Ouellette, Khasen Lowe, Jake Kinney, Brad Kinney, Denny Young and Nick Bartlett.
In the girls’ contest at Pottle Field in Hermon, Alex Allain pounced on a loose ball deep in the Presque Isle end late in the second half, and knew just what to do with it, firing it into the top corner of the goal to snap a 1-1 tie and lift the Hawks to victory.
“I saw it coming out to me and I just caught it with my left foot,” said Allain, whose 16-0 Hawks will take on No. 2 Waterville for the regional championship today.
Allain, who was unmarked about 20 yards from the goal, took one touch, turned and fired a rocket that PI goalkeeper Savannah Rodriguez had no chance on.
“If you’re going to win on a shot like that, that’s the way to do it,” Hermon coach M.J. Ball said.
Allain gained a small bit of redemption after she was stuffed on a first-half breakway by Rodriguez, in which the Wildcat sophomore came off her line to prevent Allain from finishing a run to goal down the middle.
“They’re always out to get us,” Allain said. “We’ve beaten them in the semis for the past four years. They’re our number-one rivals in every sport.”
Rodriguez would deny several Hermon scoring threats in the opening half before Maddisyn Curtis finally broke through with 17:36 remaining.
The sequence started with Allain working the ball into the corner and finding Curtis open for the game’s first goal.
“When Alex has the ball in the corner I know just to get straight to the goal,” Curtis said. “I got it and just turned and shot it.”
Even though Hermon had the better of the high-percentage chances throughout the match, Presque Isle took advantage of one of its own early in the second half to even things up, with Madison Michaud walking in unmarked along the left side and beating Hawks ‘keeper Megan Chamberlain to the far post.
Coach Ralph Michaud’s Wildcats did have a couple of solid chances on subsequent sequences, but the Hermon midfielders and back line and Chamberlain were able to keep Presque Isle at bay.
“They just kept pushing us, pushing us until the last minute,” Allain said.
Hermon’s midfield tandem of Bri Saulter, Olivia Tardie and Emma Allmon did an exceptional job of winning 50-50 balls and re-establishing control to Hermon soon after the Wildcats tied it.
The Hawks would finally be rewarded with 19:16 left in regulation, as an attempted clear found an unmarked Allain, and she did the rest.
“That last goal we made a little bit of a mistake not clearing it wide,” said coach Michaud.
Hermon had a few glorious chances to obtain some insurance, but Rodriguez (12 saves) held her own, keeping her team in the match.
“She has great instincts,” said Michaud, whose club has only two seniors, starters Tori Koch and Grace Player. “Luckily for us we have [Savannah] two more years.”
Presque Isle freshman Charlotte Carrier did an outstanding job marking Saulter, limiting her time and space with the ball.
Hermon finished with a 22-8 edge in shots, and the Hawks’ Chamberlain came up with five stops.
